CooperVision has earned the Zero Waste Facility Program Certification for six of its global contact lens manufacturing and distribution sites, including those in Scottsville and West Henrietta, N.Y., and Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico.*1
The certification, which demonstrates the degree to which operations prevent or divert waste from landfills, was also attained by the company’s facilities in Alajuela, Costa Rica and Delta Park and Mountpark in the U.K.*1
ABOUT THE INITIATIVE
Each site was evaluated and certified individually by SCS Global Services (SCS), an international leader in third-party environmental and sustainability certifications, under its latest Zero Waste standard. CooperVision facilities, which have varying diversion percentages, achieved certification through a combination of recycling, composting, waste to energy, resale and reuse.*1
“CooperVision distributes billions of contact lenses worldwide each year,†2 and doing so sustainably is incredibly important to us,” says Michele Andrews, OD, Vice President, Marketing and Professional Affairs. “Our teams continuously raise the bar, looking for ways to be more inventive in our sustainability journey across the entire business. The Zero Waste Facility Certification is the latest acknowledgement of that commitment.”*‡1
The Zero Waste Facility Certification reflects the latest milestone in CooperVision’s environmental initiatives focused on conserving energy; reducing, reusing and recycling resources; and empowering people within the company and the communities in which it operates.*‡1 CooperVision’s facilities in Scottsville, West Henrietta, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica also hold prestigious LEED® certifications, and Mountpark a BREEAM® “Excellent” rating.§3 The company’s Rochester, N.Y.-area sites are also powered by 100 percent renewable electricty.4
PARTNERSHIP WITH PLASTIC BANK
CooperVision pioneered the world’s first net plastic neutral contact lenses through a partnership with Plastic Bank®. The company purchases credits to fund the collection, processing and reuse of general ocean-bound plastic waste that is equal to the weight of the plastic contained in the product.à ¶**††2,5 The environmental impact of this initiative is the equivalent to more than 466 million plastic bottles recovered. It was introduced in 2021.‡‡6 CooperVision now offers a complete portfolio of net plastic neutral contact lenses in designated countries.¶§§5
The company is continuously working to minimize environmental impact and support People + Planet around the globe as part of broader efforts across CooperCompanies to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.àà2,3 For more information, visit coopervision.com/
LEARN MORE
*Zero Waste Program Certification is obtained through SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party certification, validation, and verification for environmental sustainability.
† Includes all CVI manufactured soft silicone hydrogel and hydrogel 1 Day disposable, 2 weekly replacement, monthly replacement disposable contact lenses and specialty lens designs including Ortho-k and sclerals manufactured between November 2023 – October 2024.
‡ Zero Waste Program Certification for six global manufacturing and distribution sites — Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico; Alajuela, Costa Rica; Delta Park and Mount Park in the UK; and Scottsville & West Henrietta, NY.
§ LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. BREAM: Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology.
à clariti® 1 day is defined as orders and includes clariti® 1 day sphere, clariti® 1 day toric, and clariti® 1 day multifocal product sold & distributed by CooperVision Globally.
NET PLASTIC NEUTRALITY
¶ Net plastic neutrality is established by purchasing credits from Plastic Bank. A credit represents the collection and conversion of one kilogram of plastic that may reach or be destined for waterways. CooperVision purchases credits equal to the weight of plastic in clariti® 1 day / MyDay® daily disposable/Biofinity®/ MiSight® 1 day orders in a specified time period. clariti® 1 day / MyDay® daily disposable/ Biofinity®/ MiSight® 1 day plastic is determined by the weight of plastic in the blister, the lens, and the secondary package, including laminates, adhesives, and auxiliary inputs (e.g. ink).
** Based on top 4 global contact lens manufacturers.
†† Plastic used in participating CooperVision soft contact lens products is determined by the weight of plastic in the blister, the lens, and the secondary package, including laminates, adhesives, and auxiliary inputs (e.g. ink). The determination does not include plastic used during the manufacturing process for both these products and their packaging.
‡‡ CooperVision, through its collaboration with Plastic Bank, has collected and converted approximately 9.3M kg of plastic destined for waterways as of 02/2025. Using Plastic Bank’s metric of 1kg of plastic equaling 50 standard 202mm bottles, that will be the equivalent of approximately 466M plastic bottles not reaching our oceans.
§§ clariti® 1 day / MyDay® daily disposable/ Biofinity®/ MiSight® 1 day orders includes products sold and distributed by CooperVision in participating countries.
àà Refers to continuous manufacturing improvement processes undertaken by CooperVision to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions.
REFERENCES
1. SCS Global Services Certificate Nos. SCS-ZW-0008, SCS-ZW-0011, SCS-ZW-0012, SCS-ZW-0014, SCS-ZW-0018, SCS-ZW-0019.
2. CVI data on file, 2024.
3. CVI data on file, 2025. US Green Building Council. Building Research Establishment.
4.CVI Data on file 2023. Renewable Energy.
5. CVI data on file, 2022.
6. CVI data on file as of 02/2025.
Read more news from WO here.
