Solar Glasses Recycling And Distribution

Community Spotlight

In the News...

HELP SEND YOUR GLASSES AROUND THE WORLD!

The eclipse was an AMAZING sight now you want to share it by donating your glasses.

Check out our list of collection partners and find out where you can mail them or drop them off.

Want to get more involved?
Have your organization become a Collection Partner. You'll be responsible for collecting, vetting and storing the glasses. Click here for more details about what it entails or go ahead and sign up TODAY!

Are you interested in donating glasses?

If you are interested in donating your glasses, please read the FAQs below. You can also Click here to find a collection partner near you! Please only send glasses to the organizations on the list.

Please do NOT send any eclipse glasses to our Calabasas address or Explore Scientific. We are unable to receive glasses there. Thank you for understanding!

FAQ

What happens to my glasses? Where will they go?

Your glasses will be vetted for safety and authenticity at your regional hub, and then packaged and stored for future distribution. There are 2 solar eclipses per year and we will be actively seeking homes for the glasses. 

How likely is it that these solar glasses will find new homes to be reused?

Very likely. The issue is not finding homes, it's timing and that really depends on how many vetted glasses we will receive and when. We collected millions of glasses from the 2017 eclipse, vetted down to 300,000 and now all of them have been distributed.

Where do I send them?

Please refer to our collection center list to find the location closest to you.

How can I tell if they’re safe to reuse?

Look at the integrity of the lenses and their housings. The lenses need to be free of punctures, scratches, and bends, and the housing, whether plastic or cardboard, needs to be in good shape.

When looking through the glasses, the only visible thing should be the sun and other light sources as bright as the sun (such as a bright-white LED bulb, including the flashlight on your smartphone.) All else should be black. 

Will you resell them or will they be donated?

All glasses will be donated to future users. No glasses will be resold.

How should I package the glasses that I send?

If you are sending a small number of glasses, it is probably best to use a padded envelope to prevent crushing. For larger amounts, placing them in a cardboard box is fine, though you may wish to gently wrap them in tissue paper.

What if I still have questions?

If you have more questions about donating glasses, please email us at donateglasses@astronomerswithoutborders.org

Solar Eclipse Argentina December 2020

From One Solar Eclipse to Another - AWB is THERE.

Sending Solar Glasses to Build Community

Astronomers Without Borders has been sending solar glasses for annular and total solar eclipse since 2008. From Africa, Asia, North and South America, our members, partners and National Coordinators helped to bring glasses to people who may not otherwise have a safe way to view the eclipse directly. Travellers from the United States graciously volunteered to bring them in their luggage and hand them out to local educators and organizers of public viewing events. 

Recycling Donated Glasses

Building a community beyond time and place - glasses that once allowed Americans to witness the 2017 Great American Eclipse built bridges to individuals all over the world!

Millions of donated glasses turned into a few hundred thousand that were vetted for reusability.

Tens of thousands were then sent to South America, Asia, Africa and South America again. Seven years after the Great American Total Solar Eclipse, we have dispensed all the glasses that were entrusted to us from generous Americans who sent them to us at their own expense. 

Building on Past Success

AWB is committed to continue sending glasses to those who need them for outreach and educational programs around the world.  AWB is currently searching for funding to support this program for the April 8, 2024 North American total solar eclipse.

------------------

              Grab Your Eclipse Souvenir 


AWB Exclusive One People, One Eclipse T-Shirt

100% Proceeds Supports AWB's Eclipse Glasses Recycling Program

Sign-up to get more information and updates on our glasses recycling program






From One Eclipse to the Next...

Glasses Sent Across the Globe



Eclipse in Nigeria



Eclipse in Argentina 2019

 Are you interested in helping us collect glasses?

Thank you so much for signing up as a Collection Node. We have 200+ collection hubs around the U.S.A. thanks to generous individuals who are donating their time in vetting and space for storage. We can no longer accept new collection hubs due to the many glasses we have collected.

Collecting and vetting of solar glasses after 2017 total solar eclipse across the United States

If you would like to receive information about how our program is going, please sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.

F.A.Q.

What's the process of vetting the glasses?

Basically, you will be looking at the integrity of the lens and the housing of the lenses. The lenses need to be made sure to be free of punctures, scratches and bends and the housing, whether it be plastic or cardboard, need to be in good shape.

It's an easy visual process where each pair of glasses needs to be inspected. While easy, it can be tedious. Each pair will take about 1/2 a minute to inspect on average.

How long do you expect the glasses to be stored?

We are asking that your facility hold the glasses from a few months to years. The reason being is that there are only 2 solar eclipses per year. Please be assured that we will be actively seeking homes for the glasses. So you may be called upon to send your glasses any time of the year as many will be used for solar observation and education as well.

Who is responsible for the shipping costs?

A.W.B. is happy to provide the shipping fees for your vetted glasses. Many of our beneficiaries find their own funding to receive your generous donation of time and resources. We are also actively trying to seeking funding as well as partnerships with governments and embassies for getting your glasses to their new homes. You are very welcome to fund the shipping yourself. This can expedite their distribution as well.

How likely is it that these solar glasses will find new homes to be reused?

Very likely. The issue is not finding homes, it's timing and that really depends on how many vetted glasses we will receive and when. We collected millions of glasses from the 2017 eclipse, vetted down to 300,000 and now all of them have been distributed.

Does Astronomers Without Borders provide any collection bins and signs?

Unfortunately, we cannot provide physical resources at this time. However, you can download logos in our community member forum.

Is there a limit to the number of glasses that we can collect to be reused/redistributed?

We have not set limits to how many you can collect. We really leave that up to the collection nodes as this is a resource-based question. Questions you may want to ask your organization is: How many volunteers do you think you'll be able to recruit? How much space can you spare to store the glasses?

How much space will the glasses take?

To give you a good idea of the space needed to store the vetted glasses - when packed side-by-side, a 18x12x6 cardboard box will hold 2000 glasses. So, 50,000 glasses will make 25 boxes. Please note that you will be able to stack the filled boxes.

If you have more questions about the collection process, please contact us at collectionnode@astronomerswithoutborders.org

If you are interested in financially supporting this global program, please donate to our fundraiser here.

Note: AWB is a registered US 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

 

Collection Partners

Are you looking for a place to donate your glasses? Here's our list of Collection Partners that can vet and store them! The list is alphabetized by state and then by city. 

Please make sure that the proper postage is paid when mailing your glasses to a collection node. If not, your glasses may be sent back to you.

Come back and check often; our list is growing!

United States
State Name of Organization Address
Arkansas
Little Rock Zoo
Arkansas
Northeast Arkansas Education Cooperative
211 W Hickory St, Walnut Ridge, AR 72476
Connecticut
Bethel Public Library
189 Greenwood Ave, Bethel, CT 06801
Connecticut
Discovery Science Center & Planetarium
4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06604
Connecticut
Ethan Allen
135 Albany Turnpike, Canton, CT 06019
Connecticut
Chester Public Library
21 W Main St, Chester, CT 06412
Connecticut
Hall Memorial Library
93 Main Street, P.O. Box 280, Ellington, CT 06029
Connecticut
Naturally Dogs and Cats D.I.Y. Dog Wash & Biscuit Bar
148 North Road, East Windsor, CT 06088
Connecticut
Richmond Memorial Library
15 School Drive, Marlborough, CT 06447
Connecticut
Acton Public Library
60 Old Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
Connecticut
Case Memorial Library 
176 Tyler City Road, Orange, CT 06477
Connecticut
Shelton Gift Boutique
480 Howe Ave., Shelton, CT 06485
Florida
Long Key Nature Center - Broward County Parks & Recreation
3501 SW 130th Ave, Davie, FL 33330
Florida
Jefferson County R.J. Bailar Public Library
375 S Water St, Monticello, FL 32344
Georgia 
Teasley Elementary (Cobb County School)
3640 Spring Hill Parkway, Smyrna, GA 30080
Illinois
Stinson Memorial Public Library District
409 S. Main St., Anna, IL 62906
Illinois
Morton West High School
2400 West Home Avenue, Berwyn, IL 60402
Illinois
Carbondale Public Library
405 West Main, Carbondale, IL  62901
Illinois
Disability Resources and Educational Services at University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign
1207 S Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820
Illinois
Elk Grove Village Public Library
1001 Wellington Ave., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Illinois
Eureka Public Library District
202 S. Main St., Eureka, IL 61530
Illinois
Trinity Lutheran Church
1330 13th St., Moline, IL 61265
Illinois
Office of Sustainability,
Illinois State University
305 N School Street, Normal, Illinois 61761
Illinois
Lewis University
Physics Department, Lewis University, 1 University Pkwy, Romeoville, IL 60446
Illinois
Illinois Space Grant Consortium/ University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Heidi Bjerke, 306J Talbot Laboratory, MC -236, 104 S. Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801
Indiana
Persimmon Tree Foods and Gifts
680 S US HWY 231, Bloomfield, IN 47424
Indiana
WonderLab: Museum of Science, Health, and Technology
Attn: Kate Seader: 308 W 4th Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
Indiana
Centreville Indiana Senior High School
507 Willow Grove Rd, Centerville. IN 47330
Indiana
East Chicago Public Library
East Chicago Public Library
ATTN: Public Relations Dept. 
2401 E Columbus Drive, East Chicago, IN 46312
Indiana
Elkhart Environmental Center
1717 E Lusher Ave, Elkhart, IN 46516
Indiana
Explore Evansville
20 N.W. Third Street, Suite 410, Evansville, IN 47708

Indiana

Vessel Refillery FW

10376 Leo Road, Suite G, Fort Wayne, IN 46825

Indiana

Dubois County Solid Waste Management District

drop off hours 8-1 M-F at

1103 S 350 W., Jasper, IN
or
mail:  1187 S. St. Charles St., Jasper, IN 47546

Indiana

Solid Waste District of La Porte County

2857 W State Road 2, La Porte, Indiana 46350

Indiana

Marshall County Solid Waste District

1900 Walter Glaub Drive, Plymouth, IN 46563

Indiana

Versailles Lions Club

PO Box 361, Versailles, IN 47042

Kentucky

Rowan County Public Library

175 Beacon Hill Rd., Morehead, KY 40351

Kentucky

Logan County Public Library

Attn: King Simpson 
PO Box 357, Russellville, KY 42276

Louisiana

St. Tammany Parish Library Administration Office

1112 W. 21st Ave., Covington, LA 70433

Maine

Freeport Harraseeket Grange No9

13 Elm Street, Freeport, Maine 04033

Maine

Haven Homes and Lifestyles

39 Government St., Kittery, Maine 03904

Maine

Home Ec. Market

410 Main Street, Presque Isle, Maine 04769

Maine

Body & Sole LLC

136 Center Street, Suite 300, Old Town, ME 04468

Maryland Collection Node Volunteer 1306 Holliben Road, Severna Park, MD 21146
Massachusetts Williams College 33 Lab Campus Dr, Williamstown, MA 01267
Michigan Harbor Country Mission 9600 Red Arrow Hwy, Bridgman, Michigan 49106
Mississippi Lynn Meadows Discovery Center Attn: Heather Johnson 
246 Dolan Ave., Gulfport, MS 39507
Missouri University of Missouri,
Department of Physics and Astronomy
223 Physics Building, Columbia, MO 65211
Missouri Collection Node Volunteers 1308 Green Mist Dr, Fenton, MO 63026
Missouri Somewhere on the Lake 629 E Kearney St, Springfield, MO 65803
Missouri Juvenile Office 120 S. Church St., Union, MO 63084
New Hampshire Nutfield Eye Associates 43 Birch St., Derry, NH 03038
New Hampshire Goodwin Library Goodwin Library, 422 Main St, Farmington, NH 03835
New Hampshire Keene Public Library 60 Winter Street, Keene, NH 03431
New Hampshire Bank of New Hampshire 62 Pleasant Street, Laconia, NH 03246
New Jersey Kinnelon Public Library 132 Kinnelon Rd, Kinnelon, NJ 07405
New Jersey Salem High School
219 Walnut Street, Salem, NJ 08079
New Jersey Summit Free Public Library 75 Maple Street, Summit, NJ 07901
New Jersey Ocean County Library 101 Washington St, Toms River, NJ 08753
New York
Clifton Springs Y.M.C.A.
Attention: Sarah Janas: 10 Crane Street, Clifton Springs, NY 14432
New York
Depauville Free Library
32333 County Route 179, Depauville, NY 13632
New York
Germantown Library
Att: Solar Eclipse Glasses: 31 Palatine Park Road, Germantown, NY 12526
New York
Hanford Bay
1212 Stewart Ave., Hanford Bay, Silver Creek, NY 14136 
New York
Hannibal Free Library
P.O. Box 174, 162 Oswego Street, Hannibal, NY 13074
New York
Kenco Outfitters
1000 Hurley Mountain Road, Kingston, NY 12401
New York
Siena College Physics Dept.
Please send glasses: Attn: George Hassel
515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 12211
ghassel@siena.edu
New York
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International Realty
465 Rt. 25A, Miller Place, NY 11764
New York
Pearl River Public Library
80 Franklin Avenue, Pearl River, NY 10965
New York
Monroe County Library System and Rochester Museum & Science Center
R.M.S.C., 657 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
New York Rouses Point Dodge Memorial Library
144 Lake Street, Rouses Point, NY 12979
New York
The Saranac Laboratory Museum
89 Church Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
New York
Saugerties Public Library
91 Washington Ave, Saugerties, NY 12477
New York
Congregation Gates of Heaven
852 Ashmore Ave., Schenectady, NY 12308
New York
Woodstock Public Library District 
5 Library Lane, Woodstock, NY 12498
North Carolina
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
c/o Laura Baker Campbell
1219 Broad St., Durham, NC 27705
Ohio Akron Summit County Public Library 60 South High Street, Akron, Ohio 44326
Ohio Bowling Green City Schools 1079 Fairview, Bowling Green, OH 43402
Ohio Washington-Centerville Public Library
1111 W Spring Valley Rd., Centerville, OH 45458
Ohio Redeemer Christian School
2141 5th Street, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio  44221
Ohio Montgomery County Board of DDS 8114 N. Main St. Dayton OH 45415
Ohio Dover Public Library 525 N. Walnut St., Dover, OH  44622
Ohio Carnegie Public Library (East Liverpool, Ohio) 219 E 4th St., East Liverpool, OH 43920
Ohio
Ottawa Sandusky Seneca Solid Waste District
1875 E. State Street., Fremont, OH, 43420
Ohio
Fairfield County Health Department
1550 Sheridan Drive, Suite 100, Lancaster, OH 43130
Ohio
Kristina J Danielak, DDS - Dental Office
1515 Harding Highway East, Marion, Ohio   43302
Ohio
Mechanicsburg Public Library
60 S. Main St. Mechanicsburg, OH 43044
Ohio
Napoleon Public Library
310 W. Clinton Street, Napoleon, OH 43545
Ohio

Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District

1121 Chestnut Street, Nelsonville, Ohio 45764

Ohio

Firelands F.F.A. - Firelands High School

10521 Vermilion Road, Oberlin, OH 44074

Ohio

Shores & Islands Ohio

770 S.E. Catawba Rd., Port Clinton, OH 43452

Ohio

Keep Toledo/Lucas County Beautiful

Attn: Adam Cassi, 1011 Matzinger Rd., Toledo, OH 43612

Ohio

Miami County Solid Waste District

2200 N Co Rd 25A Troy, OH 45373

Ohio

Muskingum County Library System

220 N 5th St., Zanesville, OH 43701

Pennsylvania Handmade Housewife  109 Reaghard Dr., Cheswick, PA 15024
Pennsylvania Erie Retina Research 300 State St, Erie, PA 16507
Pennsylvania

Haverford College,
Koshland Integrated Natural Sciences Center

c/o Prof. Karen Masters 
Koshland Integrated Natural Sciences Center
Haverford College
370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041
Pennsylvania Edgewood Pack and Ship 1617b S Braddock Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15218
Pennsylvania Tunkhannock Public Library 220 West Tioga Street, Tunkhannock, PA 18657
Pennsylvania Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy PO Box 2083, Williamsport, PA 17703
Texas

Colony Row Corps

P.O. Box 240, Brackettville, TX, 78832

Texas

The Eye Zone (Dr. David E. Weber, O.D.)

11661 Preston Rd., Ste 145, Dallas, TX 75230

Texas

Adair Eyewear

3550 W. 7th Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76107

Texas Create Healthy Thrift & Boutique

520 Granite Ave, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

Texas

Stayaligned Foundation

5686 Kerry Dr, Frisco, TX 75035

Texas

Sun City Computer Club

1 Texas Dr, Georgetown, TX 78633

Texas

City of Lago Vista

P.O. Box 4727, Lago Vista, TX 78645

Texas

Paris, Texas

455 N Main St., Paris, Texas

Vermont Chittenden Solid Waste District (C.S.W.D.), Administrative Office 19 Gregory Drive, Suite 204, South Burlington, VT 05403
Virginia
Marymount University,
School of Sciences and Humanities
c/o Dr. Alice E Petillo
School of Sciences and Humanities
Marymount University
2807 N Glebe Road
Arlington VA 22207
Virginia
Erin's Elderberries
4257 Aiken Drive, Warrenton, VA 20187
Washington
Wink Eyewear
4854 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118
Washington DC
National Capital Astronomers
Please contact: capitalastronomers@gmail.com
Wisconsin
Blanchardville Library
PO Box 104, Blanchardville, WI 53516
Wisconsin
I.F.L.S. Library System
1538 Truax Blvd., Eau Claire, WI 54703
Wisconsin
Hortonville Public Library
531 N. Nash Street, P.O. Box 130, Hortonville, WI 54944
Wisconsin
Independence Public Library
P.O. Box 99, Independence, WI 54747
Wisconsin
Eclipse for a Cause
N58W39919 Industrial Rd., Oconomowoc, WI 53066
Wisconsin
Wautoma Public Library
PO Box 269, Wautoma, WI 54982
 
 Canada
Ontario Brant Family Eye Care 130 Charing Cross St., Brantford, Ontario N3R 2J1
Ontario Ontario Cardinal Festival P.O. Box 849, Cardinal, Ontario K0E 1E0
Ontario Cornwall Fire Services Cornwall Fire Services – 10 4th St W, Cornwall, Ont K6J 2R6
Ontario Eyedentity Optical 4293 King Street, East Kitchener, Ontario N2P 2E9
Ontario Elgin County Library Please see library addresses: https://www.elgincounty.ca/library/hours-locations/
Ontario All Safety Consulting Inc. 593 Norris Crt., Unit 1, Kingston, Ontario
Ontario Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary 332 Road 3 W, Kingsville, ON N9Y 2E5
Ontario S.D.G. Idea Factory/Waterloo Region Small Business Centre 2 King St W. Suite 100, Kitchener, ON N2G 1A3
Ontario County of Lennox & Addington Libraries 41F Dundas St. W., Napanee, ON K7R1Z5
Ontario Nature's Pantry Refillery Store 24 King Ave. E, Newcastle, ON L1B 1H6
Ontario Collection Node Volunteer 103 Ashgrove Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, K2G 0T4, Canada
Ontario Canadian Museum of Nature 240 McLeod St, Ottawa, ON, K2P 2R1
Ontario Paris Family Eye Care 139 Grand River St. North, Paris, Ontario N3L 2M4
Ontario Perth Children's House Montessori School
1 Sherbrooke Street East, Perth, ON, K7H1A1
Ontario Peterborough Astronomical Association 179 Park Pl, Peterborough, ON K9J 3V9, or dropped off at Trevis Optometry in Peterborough
Ontario Collection Node Volunteer 35 Brookwood Drive, Richmond Hill, ON, L4S 1E9
Ontario Thorold Public Library 14 Ormond Street North, Thorold, ON, L2V 1Y8
Ontario Thorold Community Activities Group 131 Richmond St., Thorold, ON  L2V 3H3
Ontario Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto 50 St. George Street, Room 101, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3H4
Ontario Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Hamilton Centre 

Mail: 
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Hamilton Centre 
P.O. Box 969
17 Main St N,
Waterdown, ON
L8B 1R4

Drop off locations
Oakville Public Library 
Hamilton Public Library 
Grimsby Public Library
Grimsby Town Hall
Grimsby Peach King Arena
Grimsby Livingston Activity Centre
McMaster University Life Sciences Building, room 214
McMaster University Mills, Thode and Health Sciences Libraries

Ontario Trenton Integrative Health Centre T.I.H.C. 244 Dundas St East, Trenton, Ontario K8V1L9

If you've contacted our organization, please know that we will answer every one of your questions but it may take some time to get to your request.