Brightmark LLC, a circular solutions company with a mission to Reimagine Waste®, announced plans to develop a 2.5 million-square-foot circularity center in Thomaston, GA, with the capacity to repurpose over 400,000 tons of plastic per year. Brightmark’s proprietary Plastics Renewal® technology takes discarded plastic content and converts it into the materials to create new circular plastic products, diverting waste otherwise bound for landfills, incinerators, and waterways.
Brightmark selected the City of Thomaston because of its desire to grow alongside a strong community partner and responsible corporate actor. Brightmark’s dedication to economic advancement in the Peach State is highlighted by a $950 million investment, which will bring nearly 200 advanced manufacturing jobs, improvements to regional infrastructure, and support economic growth and development in rural West Central Georgia.
Plastic pollution is a serious issue affecting our communities today: A staggering 95% of all plastic products in the U.S. do not get recycled. Instead, discarded waste piles up in landfills, pollutes waterways, or is left as litter in our communities. Recent studies of recycling programs in the Southeast reveal that less than half (49%) of the population has access to drop-off recycling; 42% of communities offer curbside collection; and 10% of the population has no access to recycling at all.
Brightmark’s Plastics Renewal® solution repurposes existing material on a large scale, including hard-to-recycle plastics from a variety of sources, such as industrial sites, manufacturing facilities, and schools. The company also works with material recovery facilities (MRF) to capture post-consumer plastic. Brightmark then converts these plastics into materials used to create new circular products that can be reused, reducing the need for new plastic. The new facility will provide a unique waste management capability to the Southeast region that has not existed in the past, and it will have the ability to process mixed plastic waste streams so they can be safely converted back into fully circular products.
“Over the years, Brightmark has invested heavily in talent and innovation required to build and refine a circular solution capable of tackling one of the most complex issues of our time: recycling,” said Brightmark Founder and CEO and Georgia native, Bob Powell. “This investment in Georgiarepresents a commitment to supporting economic longevity and playing an integral role in building a sustainable future together in my home state. We’re thrilled to be able to offer a circular solution that will make a positive environmental and economic impact on a region so near and dear to my heart.”
Brightmark will be a community partner to Thomaston and Upson Countyand is prepared to support the goals of the community, its economy, and most importantly the health and safety of its people. “We are pleased to welcome Brightmark to the Thomaston–Upson Countybusiness community,” said Thomaston Mayor John David “J.D.” Stallings. “As Thomaston approaches the 200th anniversary of our founding, we look to the future and welcome business partners like Brightmark who are focused on building upon the economic stability and urban growth this town has always been known for.”