Guest Idea: 7 Solutions to Give Your Old Sunglasses a Second Life

In recent years, many of us have learned that “recyclable” isn’t as simple as we once thought. The single-use coffee cup is the classic example: its paper shell is fused with a thin plastic liner, rendering it un-recyclable in most facilities. It’s a “composite material,” a mix of things that are too difficult to separate.

A surprisingly similar, and often-overlooked, challenge is sitting in our homes: old sunglasses.

Just like that coffee cup, eyewear is a complex fusion of materials.