COVID-19’s Little Plastic Waste Problem

By now it has become quite obvious that Brightmark is dedicated to solving the planet’s massive post-use plastic disposal problem.

Before the pandemic, we were already concerned with the amount of post-use plastics that we, as humans, were generating. But when you combine it with the massive amount of medical plastic waste being generated due to COVID-19, you start to see why we are doubly concerned.

This unintended consequence of overcrowded hospitals is that plastic waste, in the form of IVs and PPE, is adding to the tremendous amount of waste we need to figure out a place for. These materials save lives and are extremely important in the overall fight against this invisible enemy, and they are piling up and adding to our waste problem.

From that perspective, it makes our mission doubly important, and it reaffirms why we do the work that we do.

I was lucky enough to write about this issue recently for Plastics News (subscription required).

As of right now, only 9% of plastic manufactured in the United States gets recycled. That number will only go lower if this new plastic waste stream goes unchecked.

I believe our proprietary plastics renewal process is the key. We can already take previously unrecyclable waste and turn it into transportation fuel and wax. As more waste comes to the forefront, we are prepared to help tackle those waste streams as well.

More waste will be inevitable if a second wave hits, so we are already actively seeking partnerships to reuse plastics. By doing so, we reimagine waste on a large scale and pitch in to fight this global crisis. With optimism and innovation, we’ll win.

-Bob Powell

CEO and Founder, Brightmark

#reimaginewaste #renewableenergy