Cataract surgery generates significant medical waste, yet evidence-based strategies — such as using multidose medications and distribution of partly-used operating room medication — remain underused. This article, published in The Journal of Climate Change and Health by the Center for Public Health Law Research and other researchers, examines the legal and policy landscape governing these practices. The authors find little-to-no legal or regulatory barriers, with some states explicitly authorizing these approaches and professional organizations supporting them as safe when proper protocols are followed.