Recycle for Sight Month

Story of the Week: 10 Ways to Participate in Recycle for Sight Month

May 11, 2012

tags: club building, community service, environment project, eyeglass recycling, Lions club, Lions Recycle for Sight

by lionsclubsorg

 

Every May, Lions join together to celebrate Recycle for Sight Month. Through your support of the Recycle for Sight program, people around the world are seeing clearly.

Your club can increase your profile in the community, help people in need and improve the environment by keeping used eyeglasses out of landfills with the Recycle for Sight program. Here are 10 ideas to get your club started:

1. Contact places of worship, local organizations, community centers, libraries, retail stores and other busy neighborhood locations and ask if you can offer an eyeglass recycling box.
2. Keep your eyeglass drop-off locations attractive. Club supplies offers eyeglass recycling boxes and updated Recycle for Sight materials are available for download on our Web site.
3. Work with local youth groups for a joint collection, such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.
4. Collect eyeglasses at a regularly scheduled fundraiser, such as your club’s pancake breakfast or summer festival. This also gives your club the chance to talk more about what happens to the eyeglasses you collect.
5. Challenge a local elementary school to help with an eyeglass recycling drive. You can award the student or class that collects the most eyeglasses with a fun prize and alert your local newspaper to the contest for a great public relations opportunity.
6. Consider supporting your closest Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center by volunteering your time or making a financial contribution.
7. Provide LCI with up to six of your club’s eyeglass collection locations so we can post them on the Web site.
8. Maintain your eyeglass recycling locations on a regular basis. Collect the donated eyeglasses, ensure the box isn’t damaged or tattered and keep the area looking clean and inviting.
9. Dedicate a portion of your club’s next meeting to learning more about the Recycle for Sight program. Share information from the Club Guide and learn about where the eyeglasses you collect go after the donation.
10. Ask your local media if they can publicize your efforts. A fill-in-the-blank news release is available and information about how to approach members of the media is available online.