Brandon Lin
2025 Eco-Hero
FINALIST
Brandon Lin
Age 15
Hillsborough, California, USA
The ReCap Project: Recycling Medical Plastic Waste
Brandon Lin founded The ReCap Project to address a problem he noticed in his community: a significant amount of clean, non-biohazardous medical plastic, such as needle caps and vaccine vial tops, was being sent to landfills. Inspired by a local recycling initiative, he saw an opportunity for change.
Beginning in May 2023, Brandon launched his project with a powerful circular economy model. He partnered with a local nonprofit, Peninsula Precious Plastics, to use their equipment to shred and melt the plastic. The result? New, durable products, starting with clipboards. His genius lies in completing the loop: he donates these new clipboards back to the medical clinics that helped him collect the plastic, sparking conversations about sustainability with staff and patients.
The impact of The ReCap Project is impressive. Brandon has successfully expanded his initiative to over 30 clinics across three major health systems in the Bay Area, including Sutter Health and Stanford Children’s. His work has already diverted more than 1,200 pounds of plastic from landfills and incinerators. As he looks to the future, Brandon plans to expand his collection to other medical networks and create more long-lasting products like chairs, ensuring this plastic remains out of the waste stream for even longer.
Brandon’s work is a testament to how one person's innovative idea can create a tangible, scalable solution to a complex waste problem, making him a truly inspiring eco-hero.
