Benches, Tables, Waste Stations and an Agility Ramp Will
Help Train Guide Dogs for the Blind or Visually
Impaired
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Nov. 13, 2019 /CNW/ -- Bausch + Lomb, a leading
global eye health business of Bausch Health Companies Inc.
(NYSE/TXS: BHC), in collaboration with TerraCycle®, a world leader
in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer
waste, today announces the donation of custom training modules to
the Guide Dog Foundation, a national not-for-profit that trains
guide dogs for people who are blind or visually impaired. The
training modules, including benches, tables, waste stations and an
agility ramp, were made from used contact lens materials collected
through the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling Program, the first
and only contact lens recycling program of its kind in the United States, along with other recycled
material.
The training modules will be presented to the Guide Dog
Foundation at its headquarters in Smithtown, N.Y., and will be utilized in the
training of guide dogs for individuals who are blind or visually
impaired as well as helping to further enhance the campus for those
who visit.
"At Bausch + Lomb our mission is to help people see better to
live better by delivering critical resources and advancements that
help improve vision health," said Joe
Gordon, U.S. president, Bausch + Lomb. "We are proud to
further build upon the ONE by ONE Recycling Program with TerraCycle
in providing this donation to the Guide Dog Foundation -- an
initiative that not only supports the health of our environment,
but also provides the precious gift of sight through the training
they provide guide dogs for those who are blind or visually
impaired."
"We are grateful for the efforts of Bausch + Lomb and TerraCycle
in reducing the environmental waste of contact lenses while also
making this critical donation to help improve the lives of those
who are blind or visually impaired," said John Miller, CEO, Guide Dog Foundation. "These
training modules will be a wonderful addition to our training
facility where our instructors train guide dogs the significant
skills and tasks they need to increase the independence and
mobility for people living with these conditions."
Since its inception in Nov. 2016,
the ONE by ONE Recycling program has collected nearly 16 million
used contact lenses, blister packs and top foils, which equates to
more than 95,000 pounds of waste, making a significant impact on
reducing the waste associated with contact lens use, especially
daily disposable lenses. The donation to the Guide Dog
Foundation is in recognition of this milestone and in commemoration
of America Recycles Day (Friday, Nov. 15,
2019), the program's third anniversary.
"We are delighted to celebrate America Recycles Day and the
third anniversary of the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling program
through the donation of these materials to the Guide Dog
Foundation," said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO, TerraCycle. "Before
the ONE by ONE Recycling program, contact lenses were one of the
forgotten waste streams that were often overlooked due to their
size. In the three years since the implementation of the program,
we've seen positive momentum from contact lens wearers who continue
to use this program. Together we are helping to preserve our
environment and transitioning these materials back into the world
in a positive way – it's a win-win for all."
The ONE by ONE Recycling program encourages contact lens wearers
to bring their used contact lenses and packaging to any one of the
more than 4,200 participating eye care professionals' offices to
recycle them in custom recycling bins provided by Bausch + Lomb.
Once the recycling bins are full, the optometry practice mails the
materials to TerraCycle using a free shipping label from
www.bauschrecycles.com. The materials are then received by
TerraCycle, where the metal layers of the blister packs are
recycled separately, while the contact lenses and plastic blister
pack components are melted into plastic. These materials can then
be remolded into new recycled products, such as the training
modules donated to the Guide Dog Foundation.
In addition to the training module donation made to the Guide
Dog Foundation, the ONE by ONE Recycling Program donates
$10 to Optometry Giving
Sight, the only global fundraising initiative that
specifically targets the prevention of blindness and impaired
vision by providing eye exams and glasses to those in need, for
every 10 pounds of contact lens waste collected from participating
ONE by ONE recycling centers.
The donation to the Guide Dog Foundation was funded through the
Bausch Foundation (www.bauschfoundation.org), which was established
in 2017 to improve the lives of patients globally by providing
access to safe, effective medicines and by financially supporting
health care education and causes around the world.
For more information on the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling
program, visit www.bauschrecycles.com.
About Optometry Giving Sight
More than 600 million
people worldwide are blind or vision impaired because they cannot
access eye exams and correction. Optometry Giving Sight
(www.GivingSight.org) is the only global fundraising initiative
that specifically targets uncorrected refractive error, funding
projects that help train local professionals, establish sustainable
vision centers and deliver eye care where it's needed most.
About the Guide Dog Foundation
For more than 70 years,
the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. (www.GuideDog.org),
has trained and placed guide and service dogs to provide
independence, enhanced mobility, and companionship to people who
are blind, have low vision, or have other special needs. The Guide
Dog Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization serving
clients from across the United States and Canada. The Foundation
relies on contributions from generous individuals, corporations,
service clubs, and foundations to fund its mission to serve people
with disabilities. It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise, train,
and place one assistance dog, but the Guide Dog Foundation provides
its services completely free of charge to the individual. Its
sister organization, America's VetDogs, trains and provides guide,
service, and hearing dogs for disabled veterans and first
responders. The Guide Dog Foundation was the first assistance dog
school in the United States to be accredited by both the
International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs
International.
About TerraCycle
TerraCycle is an innovative waste
management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste.
Operating nationally across 21 countries, TerraCycle partners with
leading consumer product companies, retailers and cities to recycle
products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that
would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In
addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies
to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic,
into their products and packaging. Its new division, Loop, is the
first shopping system that gives consumers a way to shop for their
favorite brands in durable, reusable packaging. TerraCycle has won
over 200 awards for sustainability and has donated over
$44 million to schools and charities
since its founding more than 15 years ago and was named #10 in
Fortune magazine's list of 52 companies Changing the World. To
learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in its recycling
programs, please visit www.terracycle.com.
About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb, a leading global
eye health business of Bausch Health Companies Inc., is solely
focused on helping people see better to live better. Its core
businesses include over-the-counter products, dietary supplements,
eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, contact lenses, lens
care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. Bausch
+ Lomb develops, manufactures and markets one of the most
comprehensive product portfolios in the industry, which is
available in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit
www.bausch.com.
About Bausch Health
Bausch Health Companies Inc.
(NYSE/TSX: BHC) is a global company whose mission is to improve
people's lives with our health care products. We develop,
manufacture and market a range of pharmaceutical, medical device
and over-the-counter products, primarily in the therapeutic areas
of eye health, gastroenterology and dermatology. We are delivering
on our commitments as we build an innovative company dedicated to
advancing global health. More information can be found at
www.bauschhealth.com.
Forward-looking Statements
This news release may
contain forward-looking statements which may generally be
identified by the use of the words "anticipates," "expects,"
"intends," "plans," "should," "could," "would," "may," "will,"
"believes," "estimates," "potential," "target," or "continue" and
variations or similar expressions. These statements are based upon
the current expectations and beliefs of management and are subject
to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking
statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not
limited to, risks and uncertainties discussed in Bausch Health's
most recent annual or quarterly report and detailed from time to
time in Bausch Health's other filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and the Canadian Securities Administrators,
which factors are incorporated herein by reference. Readers are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date hereof. Bausch Health undertakes no obligation
to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events
or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect
actual outcomes, unless required by
law.
TerraCycle is a trademark of TerraCycle Inc.
Any other product/brand names and/or logos are trademarks of the
respective owners.
© 2019 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated or its affiliates.
BOD.0415.USA.19
TerraCycle Media
Contact:
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Guide Dog
Foundation Contact:
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Bausch Health
Investor/Media Contacts:
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Wendy
Sherman
|
Allison
Storck
|
Arthur
Shannon
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wendy.sherman@terracycle.com
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Allison@guidedog.org
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arthur.shannon@bauschhealth.com
|
(609) 393-4252 x
3127
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(631)
334-2615
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(514)
856-3855
|
|
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(877) 281-6642 (toll
free)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lainie
Keller
|
|
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lainie.keller@bauschhealth.com
|
|
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(908)
927-1198
|
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