The UK’s first free national recycling scheme for plastic contact lenses – worn by an estimated 3.7 million people – is being rolled out this week.

Wearers of any brand of soft lens will have the option of either having their discarded items and packaging collected or dropping them off at a network of recycling bins at Boots Opticians and selected independent stores.

Recycling contact lenses is challenging, and 20% of wearers admit they dispose of their lenses by flushing them down the toilet or the sink. The new scheme aims to reduce plastic waste in landfill and the oceans by providing a simple and practical alternative. The recycled contact lenses, blister and foil packaging will be turned into products such as outdoor furniture.

The scheme is a collaboration between the medical manufacturer Johnson & Johnson Vision and the recycling firm TerraCycle. Contact lens wearers are encouraged to check the Acuvue and TerraCycle websites for details of their nearest public drop-off location points or courier collection.

Seven in 10 Britons say they are confused about the types of household items they can recycle, according to recent research by Johnson & Johnson Vision. When it comes to contact lenses, 39% of wearers say they believe they can recycle them or are not sure.

“Seventy-seven per cent of British contact lens wearers said they would recycle their contact lenses if they could and we share their interest in reducing the amount of plastics in the environment,” said Sandra Rasche, of Johnson & Johnson Medical. “We are committed to doing our part to combat climate change, protect our planet’s natural resources and reduce waste.”