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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.
