Capturing Medical Plastics ‘Well Suited to Recycling’

Marissa Heffernan • October 23, 2024

Resource Recycling


The medical and research fields hold great potential for closed-loop plastic recycling as long as logistics can be solved, some in the industry recently said – and several companies are working to do just that. 


The panelists discussed their work in an Oct. 3 Northeast Recycling Council webinar, “Reducing and Diverting Plastic Waste in Bio-Medical Laboratories and Facilities, Part 2: Diverse Solutions to Meet the Supply of Bio-Med Plastic Waste.” 


Sam White, CEO of GreenLabs Recycling, noted that 30,000 tons of biopharma single-use plastic is disposed of every year globally, much of it recyclable. GreenLabs recycled 200,000 pounds in 2023, he added, but “you can see the huge gap that we have to fill” collectively. 

James O’Brien, co-founder and CEO of Polycarbin, added that not only is much of the plastic disposed of by research labs recyclable, but it’s an ideal stream due to the “incredible homogeneity of plastic types,” the way that lab workflows are designed, and the interest of scientists in not only recycling but recycling accurately. 


He noted that there is a “unique opportunity in labs” as well as hospitals, but hospitals have more plastic types and those working in them are under more time pressure, making it more difficult. 


On the hospital side of the equation, Katherine Hofmann, sustainability manager at Eastman, said the company not only makes a significant amount of specialty plastics for the medical industry but is working in partnership with the Healthcare Plastic Recycling Council and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste on a hospital plastic recycling pilot in Houston. The pilot is largely handling pre-patient material, which doesn’t come into contact with patients. 


She said 85% of the plastic that comes out of a hospital is clean and not contaminated, but the trick is finding space to store it in a hospital space and creating a system that works for nurses, who are short on time and highly focused on patient care. 


“There’s a significant volume here of really clean, high-quality materials that are really well-suited to recycling, given the high performance requirements for plastics in the space,” Hofmann said. “They really have a high purity, there’s very few additives, very few colorants. They really are ideal.” 


The goal of the pilot project is a medical recycling system that is economically viable at scale, she said.


“We’re really looking to establish recycling in a way that does not require subsidies and continues to run in the area after we set it up,” Hofmann said, adding that the groups are also compiling a playbook for setting up these systems. 


Back in the lab, O’Brien emphasized the demand from scientists for more circular options. Polycarbin runs a closed-loop, brand-agnostic system, so it takes in lab plastics and remanufactures the resin into new, similar lab products. Over 1,000 labs are now participating, he said, and Polycarbin just launched PPE and nitrile glove recycling this year. 


It plans to expand from its current markets in New England and California, growing into Atlanta in 2025, and recently announced a partnership with Labcon North America. 


GreenLabs’ White said that the company decided to expand by partnering with hazardous waste disposal company Veolia, which allows them to collect, sterilize and recycle used pipette tips as well as the empty pipette tip boxes. 


GreenLabs takes the flake it creates and manufactures a small benchtop holding bin for the recyclable materials they seek to collect, so scientists can see what their materials are being recycled into, White said. 


“We can barely keep up with demand for this product,” White added, noting that scientists are often eager to participate. “They do such powerful work for human health, and they all want to provide a healthy environment as well.”



View the Full Article Here

Share Post

Apparel Impact

By Sophie Leone • February 12, 2026
Established in 2015, Apparel Impact has been working within their community to reduce textile waste, fight clothing insecurity, create jobs, and ensure those in the community in need of clothing never go without. This family and veteran owned company is built on the foundation of disruption for good. The Apparel Impact team has been working to make real changes in an industry that has remained the same for many decades. They continuously push for transparency, accountability, and working solutions in the field. Today Apparel Impact works with over 1,800 partners and locations, including schools, towns, nonprofits, national brands, and small businesses across six states. Apparel Impact is also working to bring textile sorting and grading capacity back to the Northeast, while launching upcycling brands aimed at scaling textile reuse across the region. For Apparel Impact, it is all about “changing the way people think about clothing, proving a for-profit company can still put people and communities first, and making sure what we collect helps someone’s life, not a landfill.” Their impact and reach continue to grow every year. “Textile recovery only works at scale. It takes leadership, accountability, and real collaboration across states and sectors. We joined NERC because we believe in building infrastructure that actually changes outcomes, not just talking about it. We’re proud to stand with the NERC and others in the Northeast who are ready to move the industry forward.” NERC is excited to welcome Apparel Impact to our growing group of textile focused members. We look forward to amplifying their voice and helping to expand textile recovery in any way we can. For more information on Apparel Impact visit.

Sensoneo

By Sophie Leone • February 12, 2026
For more than a decade, Sensoneo has been driving innovation across the waste and recycling industry worldwide. Headquartered in Europe and active in more than 80 countries, the company has recently expanded into the United States by opening its Boston office. From the outset, its mission has been clear: to help cities, businesses, and governments address two of the sector’s most pressing challenges—operational efficiency and data transparency. Sensoneo brings proven, large-scale experience, operating nationwide end-to-end IT platforms for deposit return systems (bottle bill programs) in nine countries and supporting Extended Producer Responsibility programs with robust data management, reporting, and compliance tools. Its smart waste solutions power the world’s largest deployment of sensor-based waste-monitoring technology, enabling municipalities and facilities to optimize collection operations. “With the launch of our U.S. subsidiary, we are excited to expand collaboration with organizations advancing sustainable materials management and stronger recycling systems,” said Martin Nestepny, CEO of Sensoneo USA. “As a global technology partner, Sensoneo supports PROs, recyclers, and policymakers with actionable data to enhance program performance, ensure regulatory compliance, and deliver measurable environmental outcomes - priorities that closely align with NERC’s mission.” NERC is pleased to welcome Sensoneo to its growing membership and looks forward to supporting the company’s work to improve performance and drive greater effectiveness across the waste and recycling industry. For more information on Sensoneo visit.

Planet Aid

By Sophie Leone • January 20, 2026
Planet Aid is a nonprofit established in 1997 to divert clothes and shoes from the U.S. waste stream and fundraise for community development programs around the world. With thousands of donation bins and centers across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, Planet Aid’s mission is to inspire positive change by making it easy for donors, partners and communities to take small steps that add up to a big impact. Over three decades, Planet Aid has collected more than two billion pounds of clothes and shoes for reuse. These donations have helped Planet Aid raise more than $100 million to fund community-led projects in the U.S., Africa, Asia, and Latin America. With headquarters just outside Baltimore, MD, Planet Aid serves thousands of communities in 14 states, including New York, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and more. For those without a yellow collection bin or white donation center nearby, they've developed a donation through mail option. By partnering with Give Back Box, you can pack up and mail your donation items directly to their thrift store. This inclusive approach allows them to reach more communities, diverting even more waste that may have gone to a landfill or incinerator. “Planet Aid is excited to join NERC, an organization that shares our goals of minimizing waste, conserving natural resources, and advancing a sustainable economy,” said Uli Stosch, Planet Aid’s Chief Officer of Strategic Development. “We looking forward to collaborating with NERC’s members to help U.S. communities in the Northeast minimize textile waste while maximizing reuse to limit the negative impacts of fast fashion.” NERC is excited to welcome Planet Aid into our growing group of nonprofit members. We look forward to helping share the excellent work they are doing in the NE and around the world. For more information on Planet Aid visit.