Achi news desk-
Picture this: It’s Monday afternoon, and after a long drive to the path of totality or a well-timed lunch break in the middle of a busy shift, you’ve just watched the moon replace the sun in the sky
It was an almost indescribable display of cosmic wonder and majesty, lasting only a few precious minutes and viewed safely, for the most part, only through the grace of a thin pair of sun-blocking sunglasses.
But now, it’s over. So what do you do with the shades?
As countless sun watchers settle in for the long wait until their next solar eclipse, many may be asking themselves the same question. Eclipse glasses are usually mass-produced from cardboard frames and polymer filters, so some may be tempted to throw them out, but several organizations hope you’ll think twice before doing so.
Here are a few options to consider:
What a sunny day
Whether you’re planning to trek down to Chile for the annular eclipse this fall, or Greenland or Morocco for the 2026 and 2027 total eclipses, there’s something to be said for being well-prepared hand
According to NASA, a typical pair of eclipse glasses (which comply with ISO 12312-2 safety standards) can be reused indefinitely if kept in good condition, which means this past Monday may not have been the last chance to get your money’s worth.
“I’ll definitely be staying with mine for Morocco,” CTV News science and technology expert Dan Riskin said in an interview on CTV News Channel on Tuesday. “They are great souvenirs.”
On a smaller once-in-a-lifetime note, a pair of undamaged eclipse glasses work just as well on the unobscured sun, which can be a sight in itself.
“They will protect you,” Riskin said. “The sun is something … we never look at it, because it hurts … they are best for eclipses, but those glasses, they are still used.”
The sun is expected to reach its peak activity for the current solar cycle of around 11 years by 2025, meaning that visible phenomena such as sunspots will be more common.
If the eclipse left you with a spark of new interest in astronomy, there’s no need to wait to learn more.
Gift drives
For minimalists, the photos and memories are likely to be enough to remember, but that doesn’t mean your eclipse glasses are destined to go straight to landfill. There is no shortage of people just as excited for the next time, with eyes they are just as eager to protect.
Astronomers Without Borders (AWB), a nonprofit educational organization based in Calabasas, Calif., has spent more than a decade collecting and recycling eclipse glasses from around the world for future celestial events.
This year’s eclipse marks the return of the group’s recycling and distribution campaign, collecting used glass from hundreds of local governments, libraries and retail stores across North America.
Along the path of the eclipse here in Canada, the city of Cornwall, Ont., has opened a collection point at a local fire station, alongside the Montreal Planetarium and the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Kingsville, Ont. Eyewear retailer Warby Parker, with four stores across the GTA, will be accepting donations to pass on to AWB for the rest of April.
City of Ottawa Account. David Hill has also offered his ward constituency office as a collection point for Eclipse Glasses USA, a manufacturer that recycles pairs.
Riskin said Monday’s eclipse was special because it was a personal, non-digital phenomenon, but also because of its power to bring people together.
“It was a shared event,” he said. “All along the beach, there were people cheering together, bursting into applause, and that’s where the goosebumps happen.”
