Catching a solar eclipse is a magical experience for everyone. But staring directly at the sun can harm your eyes big time, as the sun’s harmful rays will damage your retina. Therefore, we use eclipse glasses to observe a solar eclipse.
But what will you do with your Eclipse glasses after that? Most of them will lie in a corner of your house till the next eclipse! And they might get damaged due to a lack of care. You should always avoid using scratched, broken, or expired eclipse glasses, as they won’t save you from getting your eyes damaged. Modern-day eclipse glasses that comply with ISO 12312-2 do not expire, according to the American Astronomical Society (AAS).
In such cases, letting go of your eclipse glasses is a way to go. You can either remove the glasses from the cardboard or recycle the cardboard, but there’s a more efficient way too. You can donate your Eclipse glasses! Yes, you heard it right!
Organizations like Astronomers without Borders accept used eclipse glasses, and they donate them to people looking for new eclipse glasses after performing quality checks and ensuring the safety of the glasses. To donate your eclipse glasses, you can visit or mail them to the collection center address given below.
| State | Name of Organization | Address |
| Arkansas | Little Rock Zoo | Please contact Laura Bernstein-Kurtycz |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| New Hampshire | Nutfield Eye Associates | 43 Birch St., Derry, NH 03038 |
| New Hampshire | Goodwin Library | Goodwin Library, 422 Main St, Farmington, NH 03835 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Pennsylvania | Erie Retina Research | 300 State St, Erie, PA 16507 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
The list is exhaustive*
Visit the Astronomers Without Borders collection center page to find a collection center near you!
Why should you donate eclipse glasses?
Donated eclipse glasses are helpful for students who can’t buy these resources. Various organizations carry out eclipse-watching camps where they can use the donated eclipse glasses to educate the people and make them experience the celestial wonder.
