Going through a box of contact lenses in a few months may bother environmentally conscious consumers. The word “disposable” seldom conjures images of otters at play in fresh, clean streams. But with the introduction of silicone hydrogels in 1999, contact lenses have become extremely biodegradable. In fact, the use of silicone hydrogels has made it possible to manufacture and market disposable contact lenses.

People who suffer from sensitive eyes frequently choose glasses over contact lenses. The thinking is that glasses seldom irritate your eyes. To be sure, glasses allow a great deal of oxygen to reach your eyes. But with disposable contact lenses, consumers have a comfortable, gas-permeable alternative to standard contacts.

Of all the contact lenses available today, disposable lenses are the most gas-permeable. This is a due to the fact that disposable lenses are much thinner than conventional contacts. This allows more oxygen and moisture to reach the eye. Indeed, though they are extremely comfortable, they are extremely fragile and tear easily if you try to clean them with solution.

But this is what makes disposable contacts so marvelously marketed: there is no need to clean them. At the end off the day you simply dispose of them. No fuss, no extra cleaners, no cases needed. You can save on the cost of multi-purpose solutions and enzymatic cleaners. The cost-benefit savings are passed along to the consumer.

A six-month supply of disposable contact lenses is about 20-40% more expensive than conventional contacts. In the face of having to pay more, many people opt for the conventional lenses, forgetting to take the cost of all the peripherals into account. At $10 a bottle for solution every two weeks for a year is approximately $260. Add another $10 every two months for enzymatic cleaner and now your grand total is $320. That is roughly $600 in yearly costs for solutions and whatnot. With disposables you simply wear and toss.

Whereas the initial cost of disposable contact lenses may make daunting, make sure to keep the cost of peripheral cleaning and storage products in mind. You could make paying more in the long run and still not experiencing the comfort of disposable contact lenses.