MillionEyes Opinion Article, February 2026
Madalena Lira
Researcher at the Physics Centre and Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Minho
Sustainability is currently one of society’s greatest challenges. As a lecturer at the University of Minho, I recognize that academia plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable practices, both through the education of socially conscious professionals and through research and responsible environmental management. At UMinho, this mission is clearly defined in the Sustainability Action Plan, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. The approach adopted is holistic, integrating teaching, research, operations, and social impact, with the aim of improving quality of life on campus and in the surrounding community.
In the field of optics, this responsibility is also highly relevant. In recent years, I have dedicated myself to studying the degradation of contact lenses — a widely used product that may nevertheless have a potentially significant environmental impact. In our research group, we recently published a scientific article demonstrating that these lenses, due to their polymeric composition, do not degrade easily and may persist in the environment for long periods, posing a risk to ecosystems. At the same time, we are developing a new product from lenses collected at optical stores and other establishments, in collaboration with the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology and the Institute for Polymers and Composites, both at UMinho. This project represents an important step toward waste valorization and the creation of circular solutions in the field of optics.
For this reason, I believe that sustainability must begin during education and training. In teaching laboratories, I integrate environmentally responsible practices into students’ daily routines, encouraging the proper disposal of optical products. It is essential that future professionals develop this awareness from an early stage, so that they may later pass it on to their patients. Informing users about the correct disposal of contact lenses should be part of clinical practice. Behavioral change begins with knowledge — and that is built in the classroom.
