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Don't throw them away! Here's what you can do with your solar eclipse glasses

Posted at 9:15 AM, Apr 09, 2024
and last updated 2024-04-09 12:49:32-04

(WXYZ) — After the total solar eclipse on Monday, many people may be wondering what to do with their solar eclipse glasses. Don't throw them away!

While the next total solar eclipse won't happen in North America until 2044, there will be eclipses in other parts of the world in the coming years.

Watch our coverage of the solar eclipse from Monday below

Watching the eclipse from Luna PIer

Eclipse Glasses USA has a donation program that donates glasses to other areas of the world that may struggle to get them. According to KSL-TV, it's run by Roger Sarkis, who said he plans to ship thousands of glasses to schools in Hawaii and Latin America for the next eclipse path in October.

Another organization, Astronomers Without Borders, has been sending solar glasses around the world since 2008 to help bring glasses to people who may not have a safe way to view the eclipse.

They get millions of donated glasses, which turn into a few hundred thousand that were reusable.

To learn more about their program, with the Astronomers Without Borders website.

Another option is to recycle the glasses to reduce waste. According to the University of Rochester, the arms of the glasses are recyclable, however, the lenses aren't and must be thrown out.