Here's what to do with eclipse glasses in Montreal, now that it's over

Can you believe the eclipse is over? After so much build-up, that minute and a half came and went quickly, and it just feels like a collective fever dream. All that's left are memories… memories and the eclipse glasses you went looking for in the city.

If you're not sure what to do with your eclipse glasses after the big event is over (after all, you probably won't need them for another 180 years), let me offer you some guidance.

Option 1: Turn them into a planetarium

Montreal's Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium serves as a collection point for Astronomers Without Borders' solar eclipse glasses recycling campaign.

Since 2008, Astronomers Without Borders has been sending donated used glasses to partners around the world to bring protective glasses to people who cannot safely experience the eclipse.

4801, Av. Pierre De Coubertin in the area of ​​the Space for Life museum and find the designated drop-off point.

Option 2: Give them to Eclipse Glasses USA

Eclipse Glasses, an online US retailer of eclipse glasses, says it is repurposing used eclipse glasses by sending children to schools in Latin America to view the October 2024 annular eclipse in Chile and Argentina.

They can be shipped directly to Eclipse Glasses USA. The address is posted on Instagram and on the website.

Option 3: Recycle them yourself (especially if they're damaged)

If your glasses are damaged, don't give them away. If you don't want to keep them, the best thing to do is to put them in the trash. But it is important to note that lenses cannot be recycled.

Remove the lenses and throw them in the trash. Then recycle the cardboard handles.

Option 4: Save Them!

Whether you're pinning them up on your bulletin board as a souvenir or saving them for a future solar eclipse (who knows? Maybe you'll be visiting Spain in August 2026), you can definitely keep your solar eclipse glasses. Sometimes the simplest is the best.

The cover image of this article is used for illustrative purposes only.