There was a gathering of people who use and promote contact lenses and eyewear in North America. The participants were excited to know the latest technological developments on eye care professionals’ breakthrough to correct and enhance poor vision. There were people from Europe and as far as Australia who participated in the event. During the training exhibit proper, the speaker posed a question to the audience about the material used in manufacturing eye contacts, eyeglasses and their accessories. The educated audience seemed surprised and treated the question as a trick. Nobody forwarded to say something. Then, the speaker said if they were certain if they did not know the primary material used in creating those eye correctors and enhancers. The audience answered as one. “Acetate”, they said. But the speaker had a follow question if they knew the generic term of acetate. Some murmured and whispered the word Styrofoam or plastic. The speaker acknowledged the answer as indeed correct and continued his presentation at the entranced group.
Many people from around the globe who were affected by the unfair characterization of Styrofoam or plastic in general seldom recognize the irreplaceable role of these styrene-based products in the lives of billions people. The aforementioned gathering alone has proven that there are millions who are thankful to the conveniences of wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses in their everyday lives. These small and prescription-based medical devices are actually made up of soft or hard flexible plastic material. Eye care professionals that include opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists trust on the unique intrinsic molecular cohesion and flexibility of styrene in their everyday consultations, recommendation and treatment procedures. However, the influence of styrene-made products has stronger and wider clout in different fields of medicine. Their rare particles formation allows these modified plastic to be the building blocks of many life-saving and life-changing medical and surgical equipment that keep many human being alive or help prolong their lives.
