Waste not, want not

Part salvage, part HME company, Power Chair Recyclers of New England may seem like an unusual business model to some, but not to owner John Perrotti.

“Our world is becoming so wasteful,” he said. “We need to look at what is already there, instead of pumping more pollution into the world and dumping more waste into landfills. We need to be more creative with the way we handle what was already provided to us.”

The provider recycles, repairs and sells wheelchairs, scooters, patient lifts, hospital beds and accessories for a fraction of what the equipment would cost new.

For instance, electric wheelchair motors can run anywhere from $1,500 to $2,250. Power Chair Recyclers only charges $100 or $150 for the same motor.

“We thoroughly test, hand clean and refurbish parts—we even repaint,” said Perrotti. “You would be surprised—a little bit of maintenance can really extend the life of medical equipment.”

Equipment donations are crucial to Power Chair Recyclers' business model, which is why the company offers a free pick-up service throughout New England.

“We go out and find people who have these devices that don't know what to do with them or were thinking about throwing them away,” said Perrotti, who depends on word of mouth. “We'll take anything—from brand new to 10 or 15 years old.”

Perrotti would like to open more locations in other states with aging populations like Florida, where he says there's a need for affordable medical equipment, as well as an abundance of discarded and unused equipment.

“The sky is the limit,” he said. “I don't foresee us stopping any time soon.”