ZeroTrash® Revolution Blog Blog
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From Trash to Treasure: Real Products Made From...
Fun fact: Soft plastics aren’t “unrecyclable.” They’ve just been collected the wrong way for over 30 years. In the U.S., millions of tons of plastic film and bags are generated...
From Trash to Treasure: Real Products Made From Recycled Soft Plastics (and How Clear Drop Makes It Happen)
Fun fact: Soft plastics aren’t “unrecyclable.” They’ve just been collected the wrong way for over 30 years. In the U.S., millions of tons of plastic film and bags are generated annually. However, only a small fraction is actually recycled because curbside systems are not designed to process flexible plastics. EPA data shows plastic recycling rates remain under 10%, with plastic film even lower. The thing is, most soft plastics are perfectly reusable. They have the potential to live another 50+ years as something useful — that is, if they arrive at recyclers properly clean and compact. That’s exactly what the Clear Drop Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) has been designed to do. What Actually Happens After You Compact Your Soft Plastics With the SPC Mechanical recycling is most efficient when the materials are single-stream and uncontaminated. This all starts with your SPC. Here’s how your soft plastics go from your home to living a new life: Add clean, dry LDPE/LLDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene/Linear Low-Density Polyethylene) plastic films to your SPC. These typically include general packaging film, bags, and liners. The plastic is compressed into a dense, low-contamination block. Blocks are sent to certified U.S. recycling partners (film processors). They’re then shredded, melted, and pelletized into post-consumer rLDPE. Pellets become real everyday products, such as outdoor furniture, plastic lumber, and reusable bags. High-purity LDPE film is one of the most sought-after recycled polymers — as long as the input quality is clean. Simply put: cleaner input leads to higher-grade output and more end-market applications. That’s the SPC advantage. 7 Real Products Made From Recycled Soft Plastics in the U.S. Right Now Here are a few valuable ways your soft plastics are being reused: Product Real Brand Examples Bags/Film Per Item Lifespan Composite decking & railing Trex (world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking products) ~2,800 bags per 16-ft. board 25-50 years Outdoor furniture & benches Envision, Polywood ~3,500 bags per 6-ft. bench 50+ years Plastic lumber (boards, posts) Bedford Technology ~4,200 bags per 2×6×8 board 50+ years Shipping pallets Greystone Logistics, ORBIS ~2,000–2,500 bags per pallet 10+ years Reusable bags & mailers EcoEnclose, Bag-2-Bag programs 80–100 bags per reusable 5-10 years Playground safety surfacing Surface America, SofSolutions ~800,000 chip wrappers per 1,000 sq ft. 15-25 years Underground conduit & piping ADS (Advanced Drainage Systems) Made from recycled film 100+- year design life These are not prototypes! You can buy these products at major stores, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menards, and see them being used in parks, schools, and homes across the U.S. Recycled soft plastics are already everywhere — you’ve probably just never noticed them. Why Recycling Soft Plastics Actually Matters (The Numbers That Don’t Lie) Recycled plastic has lower carbon intensity than virgin resin (https://plasticsrecycling.org/resources/lca). Recycling one ton of plastic film avoids substantial CO₂ emissions and resource extraction (obtaining raw materials) (https://www.epa.gov/warm). Plastic reuse programs and businesses create more jobs than landfill disposal (https://www.tellus.org/). LDPE recycling significantly reduces energy demand vs. virgin production (https://plasticsrecycling.org). The future isn’t necessarily about “less plastic.” It’s about properly circulating the plastic we already have. Drop Off vs. Clear Drop SPC — Why the SPC Wins Why is the plastic recycling drop-off system so ineffective vs. the SPC? Let’s dig deeper. Problem Drop-Off System Clear Drop SPC Contamination risk High (open, mixed waste) Low (compacted at source) Sorting required Yes (costly, error-prone) No (single-material stream) Transport cost High (bulky film) Lower (compressed blocks) Recycler acceptance Uncertain High (feedstock ready) Household participation Unstable Structured (consistent, habit-forming) The main difference? The drop-off system tries to recycle after failure happens. SPC prevents failure from the start. Turn Your Trash Into Long-Lasting Products With the SPC, every soft-plastic brick you produce becomes feedstock for real goods. Your plastic may just become: A park bench your kids will sit in A pallet that will move goods for over the next decade A decking board someone will stand on in 2075 Soft plastics aren’t the main problem. Collection is. Get your Clear Drop Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) to be part of a recycling program that actually works. Stop throwing away raw materials! Start building the future — one compacted brick at a time. ♻️
10 Soft Plastics You Didn’t Know You Could Recy...
Key Takeaways Only 1% of U.S. households have access to curbside film recycling. Home devices like the Clear Drop Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) fill that gap. Soft plastics make up...
10 Soft Plastics You Didn’t Know You Could Recycle at Home
Key Takeaways Only 1% of U.S. households have access to curbside film recycling. Home devices like the Clear Drop Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) fill that gap. Soft plastics make up ≈ 21% of the U.S. packaging market, yet only about 13% of all plastic packaging gets recycled nationally. Recycling soft films can reduce GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by 8%–23% compared to virgin plastic (made from previously unused materials, such as natural gas or crude oil). Every ton of recycled plastics saves ≈ 5,800 kWh of energy and 1.7 metric tons of CO₂ emissions. No matter how diligent you are with recycling, the truth is, most plastics labeled “recyclable” still end up in landfills. Curbside systems in the U.S. aren’t designed for soft films and flexible packaging, meaning these materials often get rejected. In fact, only 1% of U.S. households can currently recycle film plastics through local collection (The Recycling Partnership, 2021). That’s where the Clear Drop Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) fills a necessary gap. The SPC is a simple home device that lets you collect and compact soft plastics so they can be properly recycled through certified partners. Why Soft Plastic Recycling Matters Many of us amass quite a few soft plastics on the daily, including bags, wrappers, and packaging. These plastics are typically lightweight and flexible — qualities that make them useful but hard to process in traditional MRFs (material recovery facilities). Nationally, the plastic packaging recycling rate is 13.3%, with soft plastics representing only a small part of it, according to the U.S. Plastics Pact 2023–24 Impact Report (US Plastics Pact, 2024). Soft plastics account for ≈ 21% of U.S. packaging sales (≈ $41.5 billion per year) (Packaging Digest, 2023). To reach just a 30% film recycling rate, the country must recover 3.1 billion pounds of it per year (The Recycling Partnership, 2021). Recycling flexible plastics cuts GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by 8%–23% compared to producing new plastic (Plastic Film Recycling Org). In 2025, North American recyclers processed 4.2 million tons of post-consumer plastic — just 13% of the total PE/PET/PP consumed (Sustainable Packaging Coalition, 2025). Clearly, there’s plenty of room for improvement — and it can start one home at a time: with the Clear Drop SPC. 10 Surprising Soft Plastics You Can Recycle All of the following items are often rejected by most curbside systems but can be accepted by the Clear Drop SPC, once cleaned and dried: 1. Ziplock bags Simply rinse, dry, and add to the SPC. 2. Bread bags (typically LDPE #4) Empty, shake out crumbs, and dry completely before compacting. 3. Cereal box liners Separate the inner film liner, dry it, and add to your SPC. 4. Frozen food bags After use, defrost, rinse off residue, dry, and add to the SPC. 5. Bubble mailers Plastic-only mailers (without paper layers) can be deflated and compacted. 6. Snack wrappers Single-layer poly wrappers (e.g., granola bars) are fine to add to the SPC, just avoid any with metallic film. 7. Produce wrap Most cling film from fruit and veggie trays is LDPE, meaning you can rinse, dry, and compact it. 8. Pet food bags Clean out oily residue from PP (polypropylene) bags, dry, and compact. 9. Dry cleaning bags Remove tags or tape, dry, and feed into the SPC. 10. Packaging air pillows Deflate, flatten, and compact these LDPE shipping cushions. When compacted, all of the above films become part of your SPC block, a dense, clean unit ready for recycling. How to Prepare Soft Plastics for SPC Recycling Follow these quick steps to ready your soft plastics for the SPC: Clean: Rinse off all food or oil. Dry: Air-dry thoroughly. Compact: Insert the plastic into your SPC. Ship or Drop Off: Send your full soft-plastic block to a Clear Drop partner. Do: Rinse and dry plastics, remove labels, keep items light.Don’t: Include wet, dirty, or foil-lined film. What Happens After Collection: The SPC Recycling Process Here’s what happens to your plastic after you ship your SPC block: Transport & Inspection: SPC blocks go to certified U.S. partners, such as Frankfort Plastics in Indiana. Sorting & Shredding: Plastics are sorted and granulated. Cleaning & Pelletizing: Flakes are washed and melted into new resin. Reuse: Resin becomes new, durable construction products, such as outdoor furniture, or decking/composite pallets. According to the EPA, recycling one ton of plastics saves ≈ 5,800 kWh of energy and prevents 1.7 metric tons of CO₂ emissions (EPA 2024). By using the SPC, you help turn “hard-to-recycle” films into feedstock for new products, closing the loop and supporting a more circular economy. The Clear Drop SPC in Numbers Metric U.S. Statistic Source Soft-plastic share of packaging ≈ 21% ($41.5 billion market) Packaging Digest 2023 National plastic-packaging recycling rate 13.3% US Plastics Pact 2024 Households with film recycling access ≈ 1% The Recycling Partnership 2021 Goal for 30% film recycling 3.1 billion pounds needed annually The Recycling Partnership 2021 GHG savings from film recycling 8%–23% Plastic Film Recycling Org Plastic recycled in North America (2025) 4.2 million tons (≈ 13% of PE/PET/PP) Sustainable Packaging Coalition 2025 Be a Leader in Better Recycling Ready to go zero-waste at home? Recycle more than you thought possible with the Clear Drop SPC, and cleanly collect your food scraps with our Organics Collector. Discover Clear Drop’s full range of at-home recycling and composting solutions at onecleardrop.com.
How Clear Drop’s Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) R...
At Clear Drop, we’re redefining what responsible soft plastic recycling looks like.Our Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) ensures that your household soft plastics don’t just get collected, they get truly recycled into...
How Clear Drop’s Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) Recycling System Works | Clear Drop
At Clear Drop, we’re redefining what responsible soft plastic recycling looks like.Our Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) ensures that your household soft plastics don’t just get collected, they get truly recycled into new, long-lasting materials through certified U.S. partners. Where the waste goes after the SPC Every SPC block you send represents real impact.Once compacted, your soft plastics are shipped to verified recycling partners like Frankfort Plastics (Indiana), specialists in processing post-consumer soft plastics into high-quality, reusable raw materials. Transparency is at the core of Clear Drop’s mission.You deserve to know where your waste goes and what it becomes after leaving your home. How Clear Drop recycling system works Our process is simple, traceable, and circular, designed for convenience and accountability. Receive your mailers.Each quarter, you’ll receive a set of three prepaid SPC mailers with shipping labels. Send your compacted block.Once your block is full, place it in a mailer, attach the prepaid label, and seal it. Drop it off or schedule pickup.Leave your package for USPS pickup or drop it at any nearby post office. We take it from there.Your block is delivered to a certified facility, where it’s sorted, shredded, and transformed into recycled soft plastic for new products. Watch the full ClearDrop SPC recycling process on YouTube to see how your soft plastics are compacted, shipped, and transformed into new materials. What the waste becomes after it’s recycled Your compacted plastics begin a new, sustainable life. After processing, the recycled SPC material is used in: Durable construction products Outdoor furniture and decking Composite panels and industrial components Each block you send helps reduce landfill waste, prevent microplastic pollution, and support circular manufacturing. Our recycling partners We carefully select and audit our U.S. partners to ensure full accountability and compliance with national recycling standards. Current verified partner: Frankfort Plastics — Indiana, USA (post-consumer soft plastic recycling) We’re expanding our network with additional regional facilities planned for 2026, ensuring shorter logistics chains and a lower carbon footprint. Why Clear Drop matters for sustainable waste management Most soft plastics never get recycled - they break down into microplastics and contaminate soil, water, and air. With Clear Drop’s SPC system, you’re helping: Prevent plastic fragmentation Cut greenhouse gas emissions Promote transparent recycling across the U.S. Together, we’re building a clear, closed-loop recycling model — one SPC block at a time. 1 year of using SPC
How Trinity University advanced soft plastic re...
Flexible plastic waste is one of the most persistent challenges on college campuses. From snack wrappers to shipping film used in media facilities, most soft plastics end up in landfills....
How Trinity University advanced soft plastic recycling with the SPC
Flexible plastic waste is one of the most persistent challenges on college campuses. From snack wrappers to shipping film used in media facilities, most soft plastics end up in landfills. Trinity University partnered with Clear Drop to pilot the Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) inside the Richardson Communications Center — a space connecting academics, student media, and public programming — to test how a simple visibility shift could spark real sustainability participation. Trinity University, a nationally ranked liberal arts institution in San Antonio, Texas, enrolls approximately 2,600 students and maintains a student-to-faculty ratio of roughly 8:1. The university is known for its academic rigor, outstanding alumni outcomes, and architecturally significant campus. Trinity consistently ranks among the top liberal arts colleges in the country and holds the distinction of being the number one liberal arts university in Texas. Within the Dorothy A. and James W. Laurie Auditorium complex lies the Richardson Communications Center, home to the university’s Department of Communication and KRTU-FM (Jazz 91.7). KRTU is a premier jazz and alternative radio station serving the greater Southwest — a campus and community hub where media production, learning, and cultural programming intersect. Laurie Auditorium itself is a 2,700-seat venue that hosts a wide range of events, from academic lectures and commencement ceremonies to public performances, community discussions, and special guest visits. Its high visibility and diverse audience made it an ideal site to explore a new sustainability initiative. Project goals The goal of this pilot was to understand how the SPC performs in a high-traffic environment that brings together: Students in media and communication programs Faculty and staff working daily in shared spaces KRTU-FM hosts, volunteers, and production teams Visitors and community members attending events Guest speakers and partners engaged in cultural programming This allowed Trinity to evaluate not only the waste reduction impact but also communication strategies that make sustainability efforts feel accessible and rewarding. Soft Plastic Compactor solution The SPC was installed in the Communication Department break room — a location integrated into daily student and staff routines within the Laurie Auditorium complex. Clear, friendly instructions helped everyone quickly understand what types of plastics belong in the device and why this matters for recycling outcomes. Instead of soft plastics piling up in bins or heading to landfill, the SPC turned them into compact blocks ready for recycling through Clear Drop’s partner network. The device became a conversation starter, reinforcing that taking part in sustainability can be practical, fast, and even satisfying. “Seeing wrappers and film compact in seconds is cathartic — it normalizes sustainable behavior.” — Dr. Althea Delwiche, Professor & Dept. Chair SPC use case Primary location Shared Communication Department break room within the Laurie Auditorium complex. Key user groups Communication faculty and administrative staff Students and student media workers KRTU DJs, station employees, and volunteers Event guests and visiting speakers Common soft plastic inputs Snack wrappers and drink packaging Film wrap from studio and tech deliveries Mailers and protective packaging for radio operations Plastics from hospitality support for events This variety of inputs revealed the types of soft plastic generated in an interdisciplinary learning and production environment, while also showing how easily different user groups could adopt the SPC as part of their daily routines. Early outcomes Increased awareness of soft plastic recycling among students and staff Higher engagement from users who had never recycled soft plastics before More visible sustainability action in a shared, high-traffic space Successful testing of messaging and signage formats for wider roll-out The pilot showed how placing the SPC where people naturally interact — not hidden behind facility doors — drives adoption from day one. Findings and new collaboration perspectives This pilot demonstrated that the SPC can thrive in educational environments where media production, learning, and public interaction overlap. Trinity University continues evaluating broader expansion across campus departments. Clear Drop is exploring additional installations to support sustainability goals tied to student engagement, waste reduction, and campus innovation. Colleges play a key role in shaping habits that last a lifetime. By making soft plastic recycling easy and visible, Trinity is helping build those habits now — right at the source of waste generation. Bring Soft Plastic Recycling to Your Campus Clear Drop® partners with universities to reduce flexible plastic waste in student and staff spaces with measurable results. Contact our team to start a pilot at your campus: https://onecleardrop.com/pages/for-business
From soft plastic to microplastic: what to know
Soft plastic packaging surrounds almost every product we buy — bags, wrappers, film, shipping packaging. But when we throw it away, the story doesn’t end. Most soft plastics are not...
From soft plastic to microplastic: what to know
Soft plastic packaging surrounds almost every product we buy — bags, wrappers, film, shipping packaging. But when we throw it away, the story doesn’t end. Most soft plastics are not accepted in curbside recycling, so they break apart into invisible microplastics that move into air, soil, water — and even into the human body. This guide explains how everyday soft plastics turn into microplastics and how compacting soft plastics at home can reduce this fragmentation and support proper recycling. How soft plastics turn into microplastics Soft plastics can break down due to a combination of UV radiation, abrasion, and weathering. These processes cause the polymer chains in plastics to degrade. UV Radiation Sunlight, particularly ultraviolet (UV) radiation, “can break down the chemical bonds within the plastic”, causing it to become brittle and crack. This process, known as photodegradation, can discolor the plastic and reduce its mechanical strength. What is more interesting is that scientists from the UK and the University of Cape Town in South Africa used complementary studies to show that “plastics of the same composition degrade at different rates depending on the colour”. The findings demonstrate that black, white, and silver colourants protect the plastic from damaging UV radiation, whereas other pigments do not. Abrasion Physical processes like wave action, wind, walking on plastic packaging and contact with rough surfaces “can cause plastic to wear down and break into smaller pieces”. This is especially evident in marine environments. Weathering Weathering encompasses UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, and environmental factors. It accelerates degradation and makes plastics more susceptible to fragmentation. Why is this knowledge important The impact of these small particles is more drastic than could be imagined. Toxic effects on the environment are investigated in soil, marine systems, and air. Compacting soft plastics before disposal helps slow fragmentation into microplastics. When stored as a dense block, plastics are less exposed to physical abrasion, sunlight, and breakdown, buying more time before recycling and protecting the environment. Air pollution Nearly a dozen studies have shown airborne microplastic concentrations around the world, meaning we breathe microplastics every day. “Airborne microplastics” include fibers, films, fragments, foam, granules, and spheres. Soft plastic particles “may even influence cloud formation”, contributing to climate change. Marine system pollution Microplastics enter oceans from wastewater, weathering, fragmentation, and fishing. They act as vectors for pollutants “by adsorbing or releasing contaminants”, which then harm marine organisms through inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and reproductive decline. Soil pollution Agricultural soils now hold “23 times more microplastics than oceans”. Plastics in soil may contain up to 10,000 chemical additives, often unregulated, affecting soil health, plants, microbiota, and eventually human health. Health risks backed by research Microplastics have been found in human blood, brain, lungs, placenta, and more “according to recent studies”. They can trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, immune disruption, and cardiovascular risks. The digestive system is directly impacted: microplastics can irritate the gastrointestinal tract and disrupt the microbiome, leading to bloating, pain, and bowel habit changes. Microplastics were recently found in “human testicles”, potentially linked to declining sperm counts. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in plastics — such as phthalates, BPA/BPS, and PFAS — are “associated with hormone disruption and reproductive harm”. Because soft plastics degrade faster into smaller particles, reducing their exposure and fragmentation at home is one of the most direct prevention steps available today. Compacting soft plastics into secure blocks and sending them for proper recycling reduces the number of particles entering ecosystems and human bodies. What can you do to lessen the amount of microplastics created from flexible plastics You can’t eliminate soft plastic overnight. But you can decrease the volume of microplastics created from the packaging you use. Collect soft plastics separately Don’t toss soft plastics into general trash. Once mixed and compacted with other waste, they often end up in landfills or incineration — and eventually become microplastic pollution. Educate your circle Share facts, not fear. Encourage separate collection at home or at your workplace. Avoid soft plastic when you can Refill, reuse, or choose rigid or paper packaging — these materials are more recyclable and less likely to fragment. Don’t burn or shred it Burning releases toxins; shredding accelerates microplastic formation. Use a compaction system (like Soft Plastic Compactor) Compacting soft plastics reduces surface exposure and prevents early fragmentation. Clear Drop provides a full-cycle solution with real downstream recycling through partnered facilities. As awareness grows, so does responsibility and the ability to act. The journey from soft plastics to microplastics begins with everyday choices — and in those moments, prevention is possible. Make Soft Plastic Disposal Safer for the Planet Compacting soft plastics reduces surface exposure and prevents microplastics from forming during storage, handling, and transportation. Clear Drop® Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) turns bulky packaging into dense 12×8×4-inch blocks that are easier to store and properly recycle. Learn more about the Soft Plastic Compactor Frequently Asked Questions Do soft plastics become microplastics faster than rigid plastics? Yes. Thin and flexible plastics break down more quickly under UV exposure, friction, and environmental stress. If microplastics are so small, why does compaction help? Compaction protects plastics from sunlight and abrasion, slowing early fragmentation and buying more time before proper recycling. Can recycling soft plastics reduce microplastic pollution? Yes. When soft plastics are properly compacted and recycled into durable products, far fewer microplastics enter the environment. What if there is no soft plastic recycling where I live? Compact and store soft plastics until drop-offs or mail-in programs are available. Clear Drop SPC enables direct shipping into our certified partner network.
