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.
