ZeroTrash® Revolution Blog Blog
Explore articles on recycling, waste management and sustainable habits by category
Official rules: Clear Drop OC pre-order giveaway
1. SPONSOR The Clear Drop Pre-Order Giveaway (the “Giveaway”) is sponsored by Clear Drop Inc., a company registered under number 929 333 67 23, with a registered office at 6401...
Official rules: Clear Drop OC pre-order giveaway
1. SPONSOR The Clear Drop Pre-Order Giveaway (the “Giveaway”) is sponsored by Clear Drop Inc., a company registered under number 929 333 67 23, with a registered office at 6401 Eldorado Pkwy, Suite 409, McKinney, TX 75070-6520, United States (the “Sponsor”). 2. ELIGIBILITY The Giveaway is open to legal residents of the United States, aged 18 or older at the time of entry. Employees, officers, and directors of the Sponsor and their immediate family members are not eligible to participate. 3. GIVEAWAY PERIOD The Giveaway begins on July 5, 2025, at 12:00 AM (CST) and ends on September 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM (CST) (the “Entry Period”). 4. HOW TO ENTER To enter, participants must submit their email address via the pop up form on the Clear Drop webpage: https://onecleardrop.com/ during the Entry Period. Limit one (1) entry per person. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. No purchase is necessary to enter. 5. PRIZE One (1) winner will receive an Organic Collector (OC) device (the “Prize”). The approximate retail value (ARV) of the Prize is $499. The Prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or any other alternative. The Sponsor reserves the right to substitute the Prize with another of equal or greater value if necessary. 6. WINNER SELECTION & NOTIFICATION The winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries using the Wheel of Names randomizer tool. The drawing will take place on or before September 20, 2025. The winner will be contacted via the email provided during entry. The winner must respond within 72 hours of the email notification. If the winner does not respond within this timeframe, the Sponsor reserves the right to select an alternate winner via a new random draw. A video of the drawing will be posted on https://onecleardrop.com/ for transparency. 7. DATA PRIVACY & CONSENT By entering the Giveaway, participants agree that their email addresses will be used for the purpose of administering the Giveaway and contacting the winner, and for other company updates. The Sponsor will not sell, or share the collected email addresses without prior consent. 8. GENERAL CONDITIONS By participating, entrants agree to comply with these Official Rules. The Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any participant suspected of fraudulent activity. The Giveaway is void where prohibited by law. The Sponsor is not responsible for lost, delayed, or misdirected entries due to technical errors. 9. LIABILITY RELEASE By participating, entrants release and hold harmless the Sponsor, its affiliates, and employees from any claims related to participation in the Giveaway or acceptance/use of the Prize. 10. CONTACT For any questions regarding this Giveaway, please contact: support@onecleardrop.com
How one office building pilot became a model fo...
In the heart of a major U.S. city, San Antonio, a 10-story commercial office building with up to 30 tenant companies took a step toward smarter sustainability. The building's management...
How one office building pilot became a model for smarter soft plastic waste reduction
In the heart of a major U.S. city, San Antonio, a 10-story commercial office building with up to 30 tenant companies took a step toward smarter sustainability. The building's management sought an effective, hands-on solution to deal with soft plastic waste generated by significant traffic, regular deliveries, and daily office activity. Until recently, the entire building's soft plastic went straight into general waste bins and, inevitably, landfills. Recognizing this recycling gap, the building’s management team agreed to test a new sustainable approach by piloting the Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) from Clear Drop, a first-of-its-kind device designed specifically to deal with flexible plastics at the point of disposal. The goal: reducing waste and changing behavior Unlike other recycling efforts, soft plastics — such as mailers, wrappers, and packaging — are often overlooked. They’re light, shapeless, and notoriously hard to recycle. Most commercial buildings lack the infrastructure to separate or reallocate these materials. This pilot focused not only on waste reduction but also on behavioral change. The office team wanted to explore how a shared, high-traffic environment would respond to a new type of sustainability intervention. “It’s great to finally see a solution targeting the soft plastic waste we all know ends up in the trash. It's sparked some good conversations among tenants already.” — Tenant feedback, Week 1 The plan: installing an SPC The SPC was installed in a central public area frequented by employees and service staff. Clear signage explained what the device was, what types of plastics it accepts, and why it mattered. There were no lengthy training sessions. This pilot marked a major step forward in testing scale and refining the messaging around the product experience. Initial reactions and feedback Within days, the building began to see early signs of success. Staff and tenants were engaging organically with the machine and showed an increased curiosity about soft plastic use and recycling. Some initial user feedback helped identify opportunities for improvement, such as screen readability and ergonomics, which will inform hardware and signage updates for future pilots. “We didn’t know what to expect, but people started asking about the machine almost immediately. It feels like something new is possible here.” — Building staff comment SPC's immediate impact The building’s management and Clear Drop treated this experience as more than just a test: It was a learning lab. The team monitored how tenants used the SPC, where signage was most effective, and what kinds of plastics were being collected. From the first day, the team witnessed many people inserting a variety of soft plastic materials into the SPC, including: Food wrappers and grocery bags Shipping mailers from business operations Bubble wrap and soft packaging film With the SPC placed in such a central location, the team was able to evaluate not just usage, but also accountability dynamics — such as who is responsible for emptying the unit and what kind of infrastructure is needed to support that. Results: SPC minimized plastic waste and spotlighted sustainability innovation The pilot proved that small actions in shared spaces can create momentum in creating an effective waste management system. The office building’s use of the SPC reduced the volume of soft plastic waste and increase its recyclability. It also raised awareness, invited participation, and planted the seed for broader adoption. Management now sees the SPC as a valuable amenity — a simple yet powerful way to show tenants they care about environmental impact, innovation, and accountability. And most importantly, it’s a system that works, even in places not designed for sorting plastics. This multi-tenant office pilot is setting the template for wider-scale SPC rollouts. It’s the first deployment where product-market fit, setting, and communication all aligned for a full learning loop. We are still analyzing more long-term results , but the initial response from tenants and staff shows promise. The building's team sees the SPC not only as a sustainability tool but as a way to boost tenant engagement and reduce overall plastic waste.
How Eduardo's Bridal & Tuxedo reduced soft plas...
At Eduardo’s Bridal & Tuxedo, elegance comes wrapped, quite literally, in plastic. From delivery to post-cleaning storage, each rented garment arrives sealed in soft plastic film. It’s a common industry...
How Eduardo's Bridal & Tuxedo reduced soft plastic waste volume by 90% with the SPC
At Eduardo’s Bridal & Tuxedo, elegance comes wrapped, quite literally, in plastic. From delivery to post-cleaning storage, each rented garment arrives sealed in soft plastic film. It’s a common industry practice, but one that generates a surprising volume of waste. That’s why we partnered with the team at Eduardo’s to install the Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) and explore how a small shift in waste management could close the loop on this hidden waste stream. Challenging soft plastic packaging waste Eduardo's Bridal & Tuxedo is a long-standing, family-owned formalwear business based in San Antonio, Texas. With two locations and over 35 years of service, they specialize in bridal gowns, tuxedos, and quinceañera dresses, offering in-house tailoring and fitting services. Despite a commitment to customer care and local community engagement, Eduardo’s faced a persistent problem: high volumes of flexible plastic waste. Plastic packaging from gowns, dress bags, flexible plastics on tuxedos, and garment wrap contributed to a growing and inefficient waste stream."Customers care about sustainability, especially younger clients. The Soft Plastic Compactor helps us show we’re listening and acting. It’s an elegant solution for a messy problem." — Eduardo D., founder & CEO. Historically, this waste was sent to landfills due to limited soft plastic recycling access in the region. With increasing waste management costs and a desire to improve sustainability, Eduardo’s partnered with Clear Drop to pilot the Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC). Solution Over two months, Clear Drop worked closely with Eduardo’s team at their primary San Pedro Avenue location in San Antonio. We installed the SPC right where the waste happens: in the back-room storage and fitting area. The staff received hands-on training, and we set up clear signage guides to make using the device easy and intuitive. "It was easy to get the team onboard. We generate so much plastic packaging just unboxing dresses. It was great to finally have something to do with it besides toss it." — Laura D., store manager. Over the course of the pilot, we saw how quickly the SPC became part of the daily routine. Staff began collecting garment bags and packaging film in one place, compacting them into dense blocks ready for real recycling. Instead of piling up in bins or ending up in landfills, these materials are now on their way to our recycling partners to be transformed into useful new products. In just two months, the SPC helped Eduardo’s team significantly reduce their soft plastic waste volume. Based on their usage, the store is projected to generate around 20 pounds of flexible plastic packaging per month, now compacted into just two dense blocks. This means nearly 90% less volume compared to loose bagged waste, freeing up storage space and making recycling easier, cleaner, and, most importantly, manageable with Clear Drop partners. Soft Plastic Compactor use case Eduardo's Bridal & Tuxedo discovered the SPC through a local sustainability-focused business group. Their interest stemmed from the need to reduce overflowing bags-within-bags and make their operations visibly greener for eco-conscious customers. Throughout the pilot, the team collected: Garment plastic bags Shrink wrap from formalwear shipments Plastic film from accessory packaging Dry-cleaning bags Each SPC block was then stored in a labeled collection bin and picked up monthly for proper downstream soft plastic recycling."It’s small, quiet, and honestly kind of satisfying to use. Makes us feel like we’re part of the solution, not just the problem." — Sylvia B., sales manager. Results Eduardo’s Bridal & Tuxedo sees the SPC as a smart, hands-on tool to manage a difficult waste stream. It brought their sustainability intentions to life in a way that customers could see and staff could engage with. The feedback from Eduardo’s team has helped us refine how we support service businesses where plastic waste is part of the process, not the product. The business is considering rolling out the SPC to its second location and adding signage to educate customers about what happens to the compacted flexible plastics with the SPC soft plastic recycling system, reinforcing their brand’s modern and responsible image.
Fixing the broken recycling system: why Clear D...
“Why did Clear Drop come to life? Because the way we deal with waste is broken, and the future deserves better,” - Ivan Arbouzov, founder and CEO of Clear Drop. From the Soft...
Fixing the broken recycling system: why Clear Drop® exists
“Why did Clear Drop come to life? Because the way we deal with waste is broken, and the future deserves better,” - Ivan Arbouzov, founder and CEO of Clear Drop. From the Soft Plastic Compactor and Organics Collector to new inventions in development, Clear Drop’s mission is simple: to fill the gap between home waste collection and the recycling industry. Clear Drop aims to create a practical and truly impactful pre-recycling system, one that ensures materials are properly prepared for final recycling and 100% recycled with our partners. We created Clear Drop to fill the gap between home waste collection and the recycling industry with an ultimate ZeroTrash goal. We believe that real environmental change starts not with complicated recycling systems, but with smart, seamless solutions. Pre-recycling concept That’s why we’re pioneering the future of pre-recycling: a simple, effective way to prepare waste for recycling right where it’s created with the help of our home appliances. From tricky soft plastic packaging to everyday organic waste, we’re transforming how homes handle waste, and helping people move closer to a Zero-Trash lifestyle. We address the issues of fluffy, always-flying flexible plastics, which are hardly accepted by recycling facilities as-is, by compacting them and making them easy to collect, transport and recycle. Similarly, we tackle the often-pungent smell and messy organic waste that require constant removal by making them easy to collect and neutralizing odors still saving their compost features. Clear Drop team Founder and CEO Ivan Arbouzov brings 34 years of experience in the hardware industry. Over his career, he has launched several ventures, including a media company, multiple product development businesses, and most notably, a multinational optics and electronics company that became a global leader and an industry standard in its niche. Ivan has been an inventor since childhood, always driven to create innovative solutions. With Clear Drop, he envisions a future where recycling begins at home, enabling households to pre-process waste in a way that benefits the entire system. This vision underpins Clear Drop’s mission to revolutionize soft plastic recycling and organic waste management for a cleaner, greener future. Plastic, especially soft plastic, is almost invisible in how ordinary it is. And yet, it's almost impossible to recycle.We unwrap something and immediately discard what’s left, often into a system that’s not ready to deal with it. ”I wanted to work on something that truly mattered. Something that could help shift how we treat the world around us. That’s why I built one of our products, the Soft Plastic Compactor. Not just as a tool, but as a way to catch the problem at the moment it starts, right when waste is created. I reinvested what I earned from past ventures because I believe it needs to exist. I believe we can do better, not through greenwashing or gimmicks, but with real, practical tools that help people take action at home, right when something becomes waste,“ shares Ivan. That’s what the Soft Plastic Compactor and Organics Collector are for. It’s not just a machine. It’s a small shift in how we deal with what we throw away, and a step toward a better system. How the pre-recycling concept started The active development phase of Clear Drop’s first devices began about five years ago. The company’s product development is based on the experience of multiple specialists: mechanical engineering, electronics, programming, chemical analysis, design, and ergonomics. An initial prototype of the plastic compactor, the flagship product that doesn’t have analogs, was unveiled at CES 2021, where it received highly positive feedback from attendees. Clear Drop’s products are designed to integrate seamlessly into daily life. They are simple, convenient, and habit-forming, preparing waste for being recycled and consuming minimal electricity while complementing industrial recycling systems. We have initiated collaborations with numerous projects, recycling facilities, industry stakeholders, and local authorities to create a more sustainable waste management ecosystem and to take responsibility for closing the loop with waste collected and compacted with our devices. Clear Drop envisions a future where households actively participate in waste pre-processing at the source. Backed by industry leaders To make our recycling systems truly work, we brought in top industry experts. David Nix, with over 30 years in plastics and recycling, helped us build a collection strategy that aligns with real-world recycling processes. His experience spans global producers, sustainability leadership, and launching Green Group Consulting. Robert Render, founder of Lakeside 360 Partners and a longtime leader in circular systems, guided our approach to closed-loop programs and measurable impact. His past work includes advising Ravago, leading national recycling committees, and launching over 200 sustainability programs. Their expertise ensures that Clear Drop isn’t just convenient - it’s built for real-world impact and future scalability. Our long-term goal is simple: to shift how waste is handled at the point of generation in any form, starting with flexible plastics and organic waste. By working with partners across recycling, policy, and technology, we’re laying the foundation for scalable, lasting solutions to one of the world’s most urgent problems.
Getting started with soft plastic waste collect...
Soft plastics are everywhere in our daily lives: from plastic packaging and shopping plastic bags to food wrappers and bubble wrap. While they’re convenient, most soft plastics are not accepted...
Getting started with soft plastic waste collection at home
Soft plastics are everywhere in our daily lives: from plastic packaging and shopping plastic bags to food wrappers and bubble wrap. While they’re convenient, most soft plastics are not accepted in regular curbside recycling, leading to serious environmental consequences. Let’s explore how you can start collecting soft plastic waste at home and take small but meaningful steps toward more responsible plastic recycling. The complexities of soft plastic recycling Soft plastics are one of the biggest household waste challenges. Difficulties start in the collection process and end with not being recycled because of their lightweight and thin structure. Statistics show that less than 5% of soft plastics are recycled in the US. It leads to landfills overflowing with more trash and climate change consequences. Soft plastics in landfills produce greenhouse gases and destroy ecosystems when they turn into microparticles. The amount of soft plastics, like plastic bags, that are recycled for now, which are mostly polyethylene and polypropylene, increases CO2 emissions while traveling miles to be transported to the actual recycling points. These issues are a huge problem in waste management and the recycling process, but with new technologies in the circular economy, the negative impact can be reduced. Why is circularity important? It is clear that the circular economy concept works on keeping materials and products in a loop and circulation for as long as possible. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a transition to a circular economy in just five sectors (like plastics, aluminum, and cement) could cut global CO₂ emissions by 9.3 billion tons by 2050.While benefiting the environment and slowing climate change, the circular economy aspires to improve the economy, creating new jobs and industries. "A transition to a greener economy could create up to 24 million new jobs globally by 2030, if the right policies are in place." By reusing existing materials instead of constantly buying virgin resources, plastic recycling, businesses can reduce production costs, waste disposal fees, and dependence on volatile supply chains. Moreover, it can enhance supply‑chain resilience and attract conscious consumers and investors. For the moment, socially vulnerable groups struggle the most from climate change. For instance, many landfills and manufacturing and processing facilities are located in close proximity to low-income communities.Therefore, contributing to the circular economy can help elevate social justice. How to start recycling soft plastics at home with the SPC Identify soft plastics in your home To easily understand that you are holding soft plastic packaging in your hands, just crumple them and see if they’re easily balled up. The SPC accepts most types of soft plastic packaging, but there are some rules for its most efficient use and future recycling possibilities. The SPC is designed to accept the following flexible (soft) plastics: #2 (high density), HDPE #4 (low density), LDPE #5 (polypropylene), PP Expanded Polyethylene (EPE), limited quantities e.g. Any type of flexible (soft) plastic: Food wrappers Plastic bags for shopping Bubble wrap Cling film Stretch wrap Zip lock bags Shipping packaging Freezer bags Other types of soft plastic There are better ways to recycle these types of waste with recycling bins, curbside pickup, and other programs: #1, PET (bottles) - current recycling systems can’t handle them when they’re mixed with PE, PP, and other plastic types PLA and biodegradable plastics Paper Glass Metal and foil Organics Avoid these plastic types as they are not recyclable: #3, PVC #6, PS and EPS. E.g., Foam Coffee Cups, Packing Peanuts - not recyclable with/ polyethylene or polypropylene flow, and common in offices Takeout containers (” Tupperware”) Celluloid Clean and dry all plastic before storage We recommend removing stickers and food residue from plastic packaging when possible to keep the SPC clean and running smoothly and to prevent unpleasant odors and food buildup on the rollers or storage area. The cleaner the plastic, the higher the quality of the new product created after the plastic recycling process. Store soft plastics efficiently The SPC significantly simplifies the soft plastic collection and transforms fluffy soft plastic packaging into a shape-preserving 12×8×4-inch block, preparing it for further transportation and recycling. Hassle-free plastic bags and other packaging simply disappear out of your sight through the automated SPC feeder window and are compressed 10 times more compared to a regular collection of plastic into a plastic bag. Simply feed SPC every day, and approximately once a month, you will get a compacted block made from the collected plastic materials. Depending on the specifics of use, the cycle length may vary (e.g., if you feed more plastic in, it will compact and output “blocks” more frequently) Recycle with Clear Drop Clear Drop’s solution provides a whole circular system to bridge the gap between real soft plastic packaging recycling and everyday life. This includes a household device, Soft Plastic Compactor, for compacting waste and transforming it into a dense solid block, and a network of partners who can actually recycle it, thanks to its solid structure. Your soft plastic blocks, after being recycled, can be transformed into new materials like pallets, fencing, benches, landscaping blocks/timber, and docking. That’s how we can contribute to a circular economy and minimize our ecological footprint. Create a recycling habit: involve your household Make soft plastic recycling part of your daily routine by talking with your family about why it matters. Start conversations with friends and neighbors: normalizing the issue helps build collective awareness and momentum. Recycling is easier and more impactful when it becomes a shared culture.
