Methodist Dallas Medical Center brought a bucket of eclipse viewing glasses to Bishop Arts for neighbors. Photo by Emma Ruby.
The 2024 solar eclipse has now come and gone, and the next time an eclipse will be visible from anywhere in Texas will be 2045. That eclipse is 21 years out, and the path of totality will just barely cross over the panhandle, so you may be wondering what to do with the eclipse glasses you collected April 8.
Astronomers Without Borders coordinates solar glasses recycling and redistribution after each eclipse, delivering vetted glasses to undeserved communities ahead of upcoming celestial events. After the 2017 eclipse, the nonprofit was able to distribute hundreds of thousands of recycled glasses to communities in South America, Asia and Africa.
Glasses can be dropped off at Astronomers Without Borders’ retail partner Warby Parker across all locations nationally. The City of Lago Vista, Texas is also collecting solar glasses, which can be mailed to P.O. Box 4727, Lago Vista, TX 78645.
Eclipse Glasses USA is also collecting solar glasses and redistributes them to classrooms around the world that are in the paths of future eclipses.
Glasses can be mailed to Eclipse Glasses USA, LLC, P.O. Box 50571, Provo, Utah, 84605.
“The donation program is more than just a charitable initiative,” Eclipse Glasses USA’s website reads. “It’s a movement that aims to bring people together, irrespective of geographical boundaries, under the vast canopy of the universe. It’s about sharing, caring, and ensuring that the wonders of the cosmos are accessible to all, especially the curious minds of the future.”
