Brightmark Partners With Lewis Salvage to Launch Medical Plastics Recycling

Brightmark LLC, a San Francisco-based company, and Lewis Salvage, based in Warsaw, Indiana, have achieved a milestone in their environmental collaboration. The two parties announced that their joint medical plastics recycling project has successfully processed over 1 million pounds of medical waste, effectively reducing landfill and incineration volumes and providing an innovative solution for plastic pollution control in the medical industry.

Brightmark CEO Bob Powell stated that this breakthrough validates the practical effectiveness of its independently developed "Plastics Renewal" technology. This technology can handle medical plastics that traditional recycling processes find difficult to manage, including surgical trays, film packaging, expanded polystyrene, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW PE) processing waste. Since the collaboration began in July 2024, the project’s recycling volume has increased from an initial 400,000 pounds to over 1 million pounds, with its scope continuing to expand.

According to Brightmark, medical facilities in the United States generate approximately 14,000 tons of waste daily, of which plastics account for 25%. With the growing demand for single-use sterile instruments and packaging in the healthcare industry, the consumption of disposable plastic products is on the rise. As the most concentrated region for orthopedic instrument manufacturing in the U.S., Warsaw’s related industries have an especially urgent need for sustainable recycling solutions.

Through the "Minimum Landfill Recycling Program" by Lewis Salvage, plastic waste from medical equipment and orthopedic implant manufacturers is collected and transported to Brightmark's recycling center in Ashley, Indiana, for processing. This process not only converts waste into reusable raw materials but also promotes the transition of regional manufacturing towards a circular economy model. Lewis Salvage CEO Kari Lewis emphasized that the partnership model creates a practical path for local businesses to participate in environmental actions.

The achievement of the one-million-pound recycling target continues the expansion momentum since the collaboration between the two parties began in 2024. Initially, the project focused on the orthopedic industry cluster in the Warsaw region and has now gradually expanded to include more types of medical plastic recycling. Brightmark pointed out that this model demonstrates how technological innovation and industrial collaboration can significantly improve waste management efficiency in the medical industry, providing a replicable case for global medical plastic recycling.

As the project continues to advance, the two companies plan to further optimize the recycling network and expand the range of materials processed, helping the medical industry reduce its long-term environmental impact while maintaining hygiene standards. This model of cooperation may become an important reference for the resource utilization of medical waste, encouraging more industries to join the circular economy system.