We’re proud to announce that Clym Environmental Services has been named a winner in the Life Sciences Innovation category at the Maryland Tech Council 2026 ICON Awards. In addition, we’re officially announcing the opening of our new Frostburg, Maryland facility. This facility is home to a proprietary solar-powered ozone treatment system unlike anything currently deployed in the medical waste disposal Maryland market.
Taken together, these two developments represent a positive shift in what responsible life sciences facility management can look like. Regulatory compliance and environmental sustainability are no longer mutually exclusive.
What Is the MTC ICON Award and Why Does It Matter?
The Maryland Tech Council is one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s most prominent voices in technology and life sciences advocacy. Its annual ICON Awards recognize organizations that are setting the standard for innovation across Maryland’s technology sector. The Life Sciences Innovation category, in particular, highlights companies whose work is advancing the science, practices, or infrastructure of the broader life sciences industry.
For Clym to win in that category is notable because of what it says about where the Maryland Tech Council sees innovation happening. Regulated waste management is not a field typically associated with breakthrough technology. It’s a sector defined by compliance requirements, liability management, and operational consistency. Winning an innovation award in this space signals that Clym is doing something fundamentally different.
“Each finalist is pushing boundaries, creating accomplishments, and helping to position Maryland as a national leader in innovation.” —Kelly Schulz, CEO, Maryland Tech Council
The Problem Clym Is Solving
To understand the importance of the Frostburg facility, it helps to understand the problem it addresses. Life sciences and healthcare settings generate significant volumes of regulated medical and biohazardous waste. There are materials that cannot simply be landfilled or recycled through conventional channels. They must be treated, tracked, and disposed of in compliance with state and federal regulations.
Traditionally, that treatment has meant thermal processing methods that come with their own environmental costs:
- Greenhouse gas emissions generated during combustion
- Contribution to landfill waste through residual ash and non-recyclable plastics
- A compliance-first model that treats sustainability as secondary
- Limited ability to recover or repurpose materials after treatment
This challenge is growing. As the I-270 corridor expands and the broader Mid-Atlantic life sciences sector adds facilities, labs, and clinical operations, the volume of regulated waste is increasing proportionally. The gap between what the law requires and what environmental responsibility demands has never been wider. Fortunately, that gap is where we operate.
What Makes the Frostburg Facility Different
Located in the Frostburg Industrial Park, Clym’s new 10,000 square-foot facility is built around a proprietary process: ozone generated from ambient air, powered exclusively by solar energy. The technology disinfects biologically contaminated materials without the emissions associated with conventional thermal treatment methods. Plastics and other materials are preserved for reuse, diverting them from landfills rather than converting them to ash.
By the Numbers: Frostburg Facility at a Glance
- 10,000 sq. ft. facility in the Frostburg Industrial Park
- Proprietary solar-powered ozone treatment technology
- New green jobs created on top of 32 existing Maryland employees
- Ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for August 2026
Allegany County is part of a growing cleantech ecosystem in Western Maryland, with neighboring businesses like GeoCycle and Nexus W2V advancing complementary circular-economy models. Clym’s facility fits squarely within that regional identity. Its development was made possible through committed partnerships with TEDCO, the Senator George C. Edwards Fund, Allegany County, and the Maryland Department of Commerce.
“We are changing how this important byproduct of drug discovery and patient care is managed out here in Western Maryland.” —Charles Watts, President, Clym Environmental Services
Clym is also serving as co-chair of the Maryland Tech Council’s Rural Technology Network steering committee for Western Maryland. This position allows us to deepen our efforts in shaping the region’s technology and innovation identity.
What This Means for Life Sciences Companies in the Region
For EHS managers evaluating their medical waste disposal options, the Frostburg facility expands the landscape of what’s available. Clym’s model is designed to serve clients across the East Coast. The Frostburg location adds infrastructure that supports that reach.
What sets Clym apart from a practical standpoint is the integrated service model. Rather than managing multiple vendors across different compliance categories, clients work with a single provider across:
- Safety support: Outsourced EHS specialists, compliance documentation, chemical and radiation safety management
- Waste management: Hazardous, biological, radioactive, and medical waste disposal services
- Decommissioning: Facility closure, decontamination, laboratory moves, and license termination
This integrated approach reduces coordination overhead, minimizes liability exposure, and ensures that the same standards applied to safety are applied to disposal and decommissioning.
Looking Ahead
A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for August 2026, marking the official launch of the Frostburg facility. Between now and then, we will continue advancing our work with the Maryland Tech Council and building on the momentum generated by the ICON Award recognition.
The broader implication reaches beyond any single facility or award. Innovation in environmental services is increasingly necessary. As regulatory expectations tighten, sustainability reporting becomes standard practice, and the volume of regulated waste grows, the providers that will lead are those who treat environmental responsibility as a core value.
Clym has been building toward this moment for more than two decades. The ICON Award and the Frostburg facility are the most visible expressions of that trajectory to date.
Partner With Clym Environmental Services
Whether your organization needs a reliable partner for medical waste disposal in Maryland, safety compliance, EHS training, or full-scale life sciences facility management, our team of experienced specialists is ready to build a solution around your operational needs.
Contact Clym today to schedule a consultation and learn how our integrated approach to waste management, safety, and decommissioning can support your facility’s compliance goals.