Brightmark—Lewis Salvage Partnership Surpasses 1 Million Pounds of Medical Plastics Recycled

According to an official announcement, Brightmark LLC—a U.S.-based circular innovations company committed to “Reimagine Waste®”—and Lewis Salvage, an independently owned recycling firm headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, have reached a significant milestone in their joint medical plastics recycling initiative. The partnership, launched on July 30, 2024, has now diverted more than 1 million pounds of medical plastic waste from landfills and incinerators.

Founder and CEO Bob Powell noted that crossing the one-million-pound threshold demonstrates the real-world potential of advanced recycling technologies in tackling healthcare’s mounting plastic waste problem. According to Powell, the company’s proprietary Plastics Renewal® technology plays a central role, allowing a broad spectrum of plastics—including those from medical settings that are traditionally considered non-recyclable—to be converted into new materials.

According to industry data cited by Brightmark, the use of single-use medical plastics is increasing, fueled by demand for sterile, disposable devices and packaging. U.S. healthcare facilities generate approximately 14,000 tons of waste each day, with plastics making up about 25% of the total. However, an estimated 91% of these plastics—including those used in healthcare—are not recycled, instead ending up in landfills or polluting the environment.

Lewis Salvage Owner and CEO Cary Lewis highlighted the environmental and economic benefits of the collaboration, stating that the joint program is “transforming waste into valuable materials, reducing landfill reliance, and enabling more businesses to participate in the circular economy.” As Warsaw’s orthopedic manufacturing industry expands, demand for sustainable and efficient recycling solutions is growing.

Under Lewis Salvage’s Minimized Landfill Recycling Program, healthcare plastics—including trays, films, Styrofoam, packaging materials, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW PE) machining chips and turnings from orthopedic implant production—are collected and sent to Brightmark’s Circularity Center in Ashley, Indiana. There, they are processed using Plastics Renewal® technology to produce raw materials for new circular products.

According to Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) data, the global healthcare plastics market is projected to grow steadily, fueled by the expansion of medical device manufacturing and stricter hygiene standards. However, the sector faces a significant recycling gap due to material complexity, contamination concerns, and limited infrastructure. While conventional mechanical recycling struggles with mixed or contaminated plastics, advanced recycling technologies like chemical depolymerization and pyrolysis—used by companies such as Brightmark—are emerging as key solutions. Several U.S. states have also begun introducing legislation to support advanced recycling and extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs, potentially accelerating the adoption of such technologies in the healthcare sector.

This latest achievement underscores the progress made since the partnership’s launch, with the two companies steadily scaling operations and expanding their ability to handle complex, difficult-to-recycle medical plastics, ultimately turning them into valuable resources rather than waste.

Source: Brightmark