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“579 Recycling Medical PPE Through a Local Circular Economy – With Lifecycle Revive”

Through The Noise w/ Andy Straisfeld

In this episode of “Through The Noise,” Andy Straisfeld speaks with the host Ernesto Gluecksmann. Andy Straisfeld, a Strategist and Partner at Lifecycle Revive, demonstrates how personal protective equipment (PPE) is collected and recycled (Personal Protective Equipment). It all began when the COVID epidemic struck, and medical supplies could not enter the country because the borders were locked at the time of the outbreak. They worked in collaboration with other concerned colleagues to collect people’s masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) and transport them to Brantford, Ontario, where they were fed into a massive machine that can consume 3500 pounds of plastic per hour and spew out pellets of plastic. As well as other uses, those pellets will be used to create nonwoven textiles for use in medical masks and disposable isolation gowns, as well as injection-molded products for use in the healthcare business.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The waste collection and recycling process of PPE
• The purpose of the program 
• How does it work 
• Who are the beneficiaries 
• How does one get involved in this program 
• Why should you join this program

Good Question and Answer 1:

Ernesto Gluecksmann:

You know, I guess I can’t imagine if you’re going in to get surgery; there’s just a lot of material that is staged right for your surgical procedure that most of the time isn’t fully used. It’s just there, just in case, right? And then because that’s been in, it’s considered what contaminated material at that point in the surgical room. And it just got it grouped and thrown out. And that’s why our bills are high, because we pay for all this stuff that has to be checked out and re replenished. Did that stimulate the customer base, and you and I’ve been in the healthcare field for so long? Right? So did that stimulate a conversation around? Wait a minute, why are we throwing all this stuff out just all at once?

Andy Straisfeld:

You know, political choices across the borders forced us to go overseas to get bad quality plastic, you know, from different markets. And when that stuff got here, people say I’m not going to wear this. So now you have people that have ordered millions of these things. And what do they do in order to cut their losses, they’ll throw them in the garbage, or they’ll sell them to somebody who’s going to do something unsavory with plastics.

Good Question and Answer 2:

Ernesto Gluecksmann:

What’s that marketplace look like? When I look at that picture of your Brantford, Ontario, there’s a picture on your website; that machine seems pretty, pretty intense. It’s like a there’s like a second story to it that you can click on that mistake, you know, presume this is the start, right? What you want is giant facilities of this and all over the parks. Right? What will the future look like for you in terms of the near future?

Andy Straisfeld:

So like I said, at the end of the day, it’s if I could, if I could reach out to your listeners or anybody else out there and say, Look, you want to be part of the solution? Do you want to make some money? Do you want to save the environment? Call me. I’ll share with you the secret formula because essentially, all it is, it’s a gigantic shredder that eats 3500 pounds of plastic that turns it into fluff; that fluff gets melted down and turned into pellets. And then there’s there are a wide variety of people who are standing in line who want to buy those pellets.

Additional Topics Discussed:

• Marketing and sales point of view of selling the end product
• Product development of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Acquiring government funding

Host / Podcast Bio:

When Ernesto began his professional career, he was immersed in the beautiful world of 1s and 0s and saving lives at the rear of a rescue squad. This unique combination of digital and caring inspired him to find Infamia, a web development company specializing in websites for non-profits and charities. Infamia has worked with clients such as the National Peace Corps Association, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the International Student House, among many other organizations.

But he couldn’t just leave it at that. As a result of his intense need for others to pay attention to him, along with his lack of other options, he decided to launch Through the Noise. Ernesto scours the internet, searching for people creating change in the world, and helps share their stories.

Guest Bio:

With over 15 years of experience in medical and professional sales, Andy Straisfeld serves as the Vice President of Business Development for Lifecycle Revive. For the past seven years, he has been consumed by a burning desire and a relentless determination to promote medical waste recycling in Canada.

Andy quit his industry in 2020 to follow his new passion, recycling post-Covid garbage, which he considers to be the most crucial point of his professional life.

Lifecycle is collaborating with 12 other firms to recycle personal protective equipment (PPE) around the world

Resources and Links Mentioned in the Show:

• https://www.lifecyclerevive.ca/
• https://www.lifecyclehealth.ca/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-straisfeld/
• https://twitter.com/andystraisfeld
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