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Post-Holiday Waste Reset: Starting 2026 With a ...
The holidays may bring plenty of celebration — but they can also leave a big mess, between a cluttered kitchen, overflowing trash bins, and a lingering sense of waste overload....
Post-Holiday Waste Reset: Starting 2026 With a Clean, ZeroTrash® Kitchen
The holidays may bring plenty of celebration — but they can also leave a big mess, between a cluttered kitchen, overflowing trash bins, and a lingering sense of waste overload. January is not just the start of a new year. It’s a moment of reset. This article is designed to help you regain control of your kitchen in 2026. We invite you to kick-start your year with a practical, sustainable new clean-up routine using Clear Drop’s ZeroTrash® AI, Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC), and Organics Collector (OC). Why Post-Holiday Waste Feels Overwhelming During the holidays, our normal routines are often disrupted: More meals are cooked at home. More food is stored and discarded. More packaging enters the house through gifts and deliveries. Less attention is paid to sorting and cleanup. When everything returns to “normal,” the accumulated waste starts to become visible all at once. You may feel a sense of frustration or guilt, or just want to avoid it all together. A reset works best when it focuses on systems, not willpower. The Holiday Waste Surge: Facts and Figures Multiple municipal and environmental studies show that household waste increases significantly during the holiday period. In many regions, waste volumes rise by up to 25% between late November and early January. The main contributors include: Gift packaging and wrapping materials Plastic films and protective packaging from online orders Food scraps and expired leftovers Disposable party and serving items This surge in waste isn’t a failure of individual responsibility — it’s a predictable seasonal pattern. The key is how households respond after the holidays. Common Post-Holiday Recycling Challenges Once the celebrations are over, households often face the same challenges: Mixed piles of packaging with unclear recycling rules Soft plastics stuffed loosely into trash bags Leftover food that no one wants to eat but doesn’t feel “right” to throw away Bins that are full before the next pickup Without clear guidance, many people default to the fastest option: throwing everything away. This is exactly where better tools — not stricter rules — make the biggest difference. How ZeroTrash® AI Simplifies Sorting of Leftover Packaging Post-holiday cleanup involves a wide variety of unfamiliar packaging, including: decorative wraps, plastic films, protective layers from gifts, and specialty food packaging. ZeroTrash® AI helps you figure out how to sort all of it. You can scan each item to get immediate clarity on whether something qualifies as soft plastic and how it should be treated. Instead of guessing or memorizing rules, you can rely on consistent, real-time guidance, reducing decision stress and sorting fatigue. Managing Soft Plastics From Gifts and Wrapping With the SPC Soft plastics are one of the biggest sources of post-holiday waste. They are light, flexible, and take up far more space than expected. With the Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC), you can: Compress wrapping films and plastic liners Reduce trash bin volume Keep materials clean and contained Avoid overflow during the busiest cleanup period Using the SPC alone can instantly make your kitchen feel visibly calmer and more organized. Handling Food Scraps and Leftovers With the Organics Collector (OC) Food waste peaks after the holidays. Leftovers expire, party ingredients go unused, and storage containers fill quickly. With he Organics Collector (OC), you can: Separate food scraps immediately Prevent odors and pests Reduce reliance on trash bins for organic waste Keep the kitchen hygienic Stop throwing all your food waste in the trash and start dealing with it cleanly and consistently. Step-by-Step Kitchen Reset Guide for 2026 A post-holiday reset doesn’t need to take up so much of your time and energy. Just follow this simple, structured approach: Clear all visible waste from counters and storage areas. Scan unfamiliar packaging with ZeroTrash® AI. Separate soft plastics and compact them using the SPC. Dispose of food scraps daily using the OC. Most households complete this process in one afternoon, and notice immediate improvements in space and cleanliness. Turning Cleanup into Sustainable Habits The real value of a reset isn’t the cleanup itself — it’s what happens afterward. By keeping ZeroTrash® AI accessible and using the SPC and OC as part of your daily routine, waste sorting becomes faster, easier, less emotional, and more automatic. Instead of always depending on your motivation, you can rely on a tried-and-true system. That’s what helps turn a New Year’s intention into a lasting habit. Before-and-After: Real Results from ZeroTrash Users Households that adopt a structured post-holiday reset commonly report: Less trash overflow Fewer unpleasant odors Cleaner recycling streams Lower stress around waste sorting The kitchen doesn’t just look better — it functions better. Get a Clean Start Without the Pressure A new year doesn’t require perfection, just a little clarity and cleanliness. By keeping waste decisions simple and consistent — with tools like ZeroTrash® AI and Clear Drop’s SPC and OC — you can regain control of your kitchen and build solid routines that fit seamlessly into your everyday life.
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. ♻️
Holiday Composting Guide 2025: How to Reduce Wa...
The holidays bring plenty of food, cheer, and …. waste? With all those extra food scraps, packaging, and single-use holiday supplies, household waste increases by roughly 25% between Thanksgiving and...
Holiday Composting Guide 2025: How to Reduce Waste at Christmas & New Year Events
The holidays bring plenty of food, cheer, and …. waste? With all those extra food scraps, packaging, and single-use holiday supplies, household waste increases by roughly 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, per an estimate by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). One of the most effective ways to reduce this seasonal spike in waste? Composting. With a little preparation, you can make composting easy this holiday season, whether you’re organizing a small home gathering, office celebration, or large community event. This guide summarizes what can (and can’t) be composted during holiday meals, how to set up event waste stations that actually work, and the practical tools that households can use to manage organics without the mess or the stink. Key Takeaways Food waste increases by 25%–40% during the holiday season. Most holiday food scraps can be composted with the right method and clear sorting rules. Certified compostables are accepted at commercial facilities — but not always at home. Clear signage dramatically reduces contamination in compost bins. Indoor-friendly organics collector appliances can help families and offices cleanly and efficiently manage food scraps during busy events. Why Holiday Food Waste Spikes — and Why Composting Matters The holidays are often associated with abundance — for better or worse. In November and December, there’s a pronounced increase in over-purchasing, buffet-style serving, and leftover-heavy cooking. This all leads to a lot of extra waste — and most of it goes straight to the trash can, then the landfill. The problem is, when organic waste goes to landfills, it decomposes anaerobically and produces methane, a greenhouse gas that is at least 28 times more potent than CO₂ over a 100-year period.To help reduce your footprint, use the peak waste periods of the holidays to introduce easy composting habits that can persist beyond the season. What You Can (and Can’t) Compost During Holiday Meals Take note of the following lists to guide you through proper composting this holiday season (and beyond): Food Scraps & Decorative Organics You Can Compost at Home Fruit and vegetable peels and scraps (pumpkin pieces, citrus peels, apple cores, etc.) Dried fruits Cinnamon sticks Bread and grains Herbs Rice and pasta Coffee grounds and tea leaves Cookie crumbs Pinecones Natural wreaths (no wire) Kraft paper wrap Items That Require Commercial Composting BPI-certified compostable plates/cups “Compostable” bioplastic utensils Some dairy- and oil-heavy foods Waste Not Compostable at Home Turkey bones and meat scraps (acceptable with the Organics Collector) Glossy paper plates Foil, chip bags Glitter decor Metallic wrapping Plastic ornaments Synthetic ribbons Holiday Composting Reference Table (2025) Item Home Compost Organics Collector / Bokashi Commercial Compost Trash Fruit and veggie peels, scraps Yes Yes Yes No Turkey bones No Yes Sometimes Yes Cheese, gravy No Yes Sometimes Yes Stuffing, casseroles Risky Yes Yes No Uncoated paper plates Yes Yes Yes No Certified compostable cups No No Yes No Foil, plastic wrap No No No Yes Glitter decor No No No Yes Tools That Make Holiday Composting Easier Traditional home compost systems can be difficult to maintain during holiday events because they often get overloaded, attracting odors and potentially pests. Many are located outdoors, making it less convenient to throw away scraps. And most do not accept big food items like meat or dairy. For these reasons, households and offices are opting to use indoor organics collection systems to manage high-volume holiday scraps cleanly and without odor. Organics Collector Appliance Kitchen appliances, such as Clear Drop’s Organics Collector, are designed for odor-free indoor storage of mixed food scraps. They are especially useful during holiday gatherings because they: Suppress smells, even when holding meat, bones, and other rich foods Prevent fruit flies and pests Allow guests to easily sort waste Reduce contamination in compost bins Keep kitchens organized during peak cooking days Using this type of device does not replace composting, though. Instead, it simplifies the first (and often messiest) step — collecting holiday scraps and organics before they are taken outdoors or to a drop-off site. How to Set Up a Holiday Compost Station for the Home, Office, or Events Not sure where to start? Follow the below steps to keep the party going and the waste at bay. 1. Choose the Right Collection System Figure out which type of composting system will work best for you. Choose from options such as: Countertop caddies Outdoor compost bins Municipal green bins (where available) Bokashi systems Organics collector appliances for clean indoor storage Large event composting totes 2. Place Bins in Strategic Positions Think about the natural flow between dishing up, eating, and disposing. Some good locations to place trash and organic waste bins include: Near the buffet or food stations Next to the kitchen island By drink tables Along high-traffic areas 3. Add Clear “YES / NO” Signage Offer clear printed instructions as to what waste goes where. For example YES — food scraps, napkins, paper plates NO — plastic, foil, glitter, coated paper Better yet, include visuals of examples and recruit a volunteer “green lead” to manage waste areas. How to Reduce Food Waste Before & After Your Holiday Event Before the party even starts, plan ahead to avoid too much extra food and waste. Consider the number of guests and: Plan realistic portions Use smaller plates Prepare low-waste recipes Encourage reusable containers for leftovers Freeze portions ahead of time Dealing With Leftovers After the Event You can’t always calculate your food needs exactly, but you can donate, repurpose, freeze, or compost any extras after the event. Donate: The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects good-faith food donations. Most communities offer at least a few places where you can donate food. Repurpose: Be creative and use any leftover food or ingredients to make new dishes like soups, casseroles, grain bowls, or frittatas. Freeze: Bigger items such as meat, roasted vegetables, baked goods, stuffings, and breads freeze well and can come in handy for later. Compost: Of what remains, make sure to compost it either at home or through a community program. Sustainable Holidays Start With Small Changes Small, repeated behaviors during the holidays and other peak waste seasons can help build long-term waste-reduction routines. As cities continue to expand food-waste programs, households across the country are adopting composting habits and taking advantage of indoor-friendly compost solutions like Clear Drop’s Organics Collector. Whether you host a small dinner or a large office celebration, a well-planned compost system, supported by clear signage and simple indoor tools, can dramatically reduce your holiday waste footprint.
How Much Food Americans Waste and What You Can Do
Key Takeaways Americans waste 30%-40% of their total food supply each year (USDA, 2024). In 2019, the U.S. generated 66 million tons of wasted food, with more than half ending...
How Much Food Americans Waste and What You Can Do
Key Takeaways Americans waste 30%-40% of their total food supply each year (USDA, 2024). In 2019, the U.S. generated 66 million tons of wasted food, with more than half ending up in landfills (EPA, 2023). The average household loses ≈ $1,500 per year on food that is never eaten (NRDC, 2022). Food waste produces methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28x more potent than CO₂ (EPA, 2024). ClearDrop's Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) and Organics Collector (OC) help reduce food waste and food-related soft plastics — one household at a time. Millions of tons of perfectly edible food are thrown away in the United States every year. Add to that all the water, land, fertilizer, energy, and packaging required to produce it. When wasted food ends up in landfills, it decomposes and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The good news is that small, consistent changes at home can make a meaningful impact. Every household can reduce its environmental footprint with helpful tools, such as Clear Drop's Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) for responsible soft plastic recycling, and the Organics Collector (OC) for clean food-scrap collection. 30%–40% of the total U.S. food supply is wasted each year. 66M tons of wasted food were generated in the U.S. in 2019. $1,500 is the average annual value of food wasted by one household. 28x more potent than CO₂ is methane released from food waste in landfills. The scale of food waste in America According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Americans waste up to 40% of their total food supply annually (USDA, 2024). U.S. households and retailers generated 66 million tons of food waste. 35 million tons of food waste were landfilled. Food became the largest single category of landfill material (EPA, 2023). What Americans waste most Tempted by bulk deals and discounted offers, Americans often overbuy at the grocery store, which leads to rotting produce and expired foods, including: Fruits and vegetables Dairy Baked goods Leftovers Prepared meals Remember that nearly all of these products come packaged in soft plastics, such as produce bags, bread bags, cereal liners, frozen-food bags, snack wrappers, and cling film. To save on waste, these materials can be compacted and recycled using the Clear Drop SPC. Environmental impact When food ends up in landfills, it decomposes and generates methane, a gas that is 28x more potent than CO₂ (EPA, 2024). Wasted food also wastes: 21% of all U.S. freshwater used in agriculture (WWF, 2023) 18% of U.S. cropland (Feeding America, 2023) Billions of units of packaging materials Significant transport and refrigeration energy Why this matters Food waste is not just about uneaten groceries. It also means wasted water, wasted land, wasted energy, and extra packaging that often ends up discarded with the food itself. There are two easy ways you can lower your food waste footprint: Clear Drop's OC allows you to cleanly collect food scraps so they don't end up in landfills. Clear Drop's SPC allows you to effectively recycle soft-plastic packaging to be repurposed instead of tossed out. Common reasons food gets wasted at home A lack of planning and preparation often leads to extra food and packaging waste. Cause Practical solution Overbuying and poor planning Create weekly meal plans and shop with a list. Expiration date confusion Understand “best by,” “use by,” and “sell by” labels (EPA Food Labeling Education). Improper storage Use airtight containers and humidity-controlled fridge drawers to keep food fresher longer. Forgotten leftovers Store leftovers in clear containers and rotate regularly. Packaging accumulation Rinse, dry, and compact food-related soft plastics using the SPC. Why reducing food waste matters Reducing food waste has wide-reaching benefits. Lowers emissions Less food in landfills means less methane released and a measurable climate benefit. Decreases packaging waste When you toss out food, you're also tossing out its packaging, such as: Produce bags Bread bags Shrink wrap Snack wrappers Frozen-food bags Cling film When you have an SPC, you can reduce this extra waste by easily compacting and recycling it. Supports sustainable living Clear Drop's mission is to help households reduce waste in all forms, starting with food scraps and soft plastics. Read more about our mission and products in our educational guides. Simple ways to reduce food waste Build meal plans and shopping listsPrevent overbuying before it starts. Store food properlyUse the right containers and fridge zones to extend freshness. Learn date-label meaningsDo not throw food away too early because of label confusion. Freeze leftoversSave food before it spoils. Reuse vegetable scrapsOr collect them for further composting via the Organics Collector. Keep products visibleUse clear labeling in your fridge and cabinets. Recycle soft-plastic food packagingUse the SPC for bread bags, snack wrappers, produce bags, and more. How Clear Drop supports sustainable living Clear Drop provides practical tools for reducing household waste, including: Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) With the SPC, bread bags, produce bags, snack wrappers, cling film, cereal liners, and frozen-food bags can be properly compacted for recycling. Organics Collector (OC) With the OC, collect your food scraps without the fuss, mess, or smells. Clear Drop Blog With the Clear Drop Blog, learn more about reducing food and plastic waste and building a cleaner, more sustainable lifestyle. Be a leader in better waste management Reduce food waste, recycle smarter, and build a sustainable home with Clear Drop's: Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) to reduce soft-plastic waste Organics Collector (OC) to compost cleanly and effectively Educational Blog to learn more about how to live a ZeroTrash lifestyle Explore the full Clear Drop system From food-scrap collection to soft-plastic recycling, Clear Drop helps households reduce waste with practical tools and education. Visit Clear Drop
How the Shaw Institute Successfully Started to ...
The Shaw Institute in Blue Hill, Maine, is a respected nonprofit research organization studying the impact of contaminants, including PFAS chemicals and microplastics — on human and environmental health. Their...
How the Shaw Institute Successfully Started to Recycle Laboratory Soft Plastic Waste for the First Time with SPC
The Shaw Institute in Blue Hill, Maine, is a respected nonprofit research organization studying the impact of contaminants, including PFAS chemicals and microplastics — on human and environmental health. Their work is regularly published in leading scientific journals and covered by international media. The institute also operates an Environmental Education Center (EEC) featuring aquariums, marine mammal skeletons, and hands-on ocean exploration exhibits. Like most laboratories, the Shaw Institute generates significant quantities of clean polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) soft plastic waste from daily research operations — including packaging from lab tools, sampling supplies, and delivery materials. According to the U.S. EPA, most municipal programs do not accept soft plastics, meaning nearly all of this material historically went to landfills. To address this challenge, the Shaw Institute became one of the first research laboratories in the U.S. to pilot the Clear Drop Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) — an on-site, lab-friendly solution designed specifically for soft plastic recycling. UNEP research highlights how important innovations like this are for managing flexible plastics responsibly. Why the Shaw Institute Chose the Clear Drop SPC Before implementing the SPC, staff had no practical way to recycle common laboratory soft plastics, including: polyethylene baggies and protective films bubble wrap and cushioning packaging sterile wrap and supply pouches other clean PE and PP packaging from lab operations “We were looking for proven technology that could help us deal with the soft plastic problem in our lab and beyond,” explains Dr. Charlie Rolsky, Executive Director and Lead Research Scientist. “We're excited to pilot Clear Drop’s SPC device as part of our 2025 internal sustainability efforts. It offers a much-needed solution for improving our ability to recycle the soft plastic waste generated by our lab work.” The Clear Drop SPC was selected because it: compresses clean soft plastics into dense, stackable blocks ready for certified recyclers requires minimal space and no heat or chemicals works precisely with PE and PP waste produced in labs supports the institute’s mission to reduce plastic pollution and “practice what they preach” A detailed technical explanation of the device’s operation is available here. Implementation and First-Month Results The SPC was installed directly inside the laboratory — the primary source of soft plastic waste. Staff received training on cleaning, sorting, and feeding materials into the compactor. The installation required no facility modifications and integrated smoothly into daily workflows. In the first month alone: 6 dense blocks of clean soft plastic waste were compacted and prepared for recycling 5 staff members plus several volunteers became regular SPC users The device operated safely and consistently in an active research environment The SPC quickly became an effective tool for reducing landfill-bound laboratory plastics and improving internal sustainability practices. Expansion Beyond the Lab Although the initial goal was laboratory waste reduction, the pilot expanded naturally as staff recognized the device’s capabilities: Soft plastics from the Environmental Education Center (EEC) are now collected and processed Employees began bringing clean PE/PP soft plastics from home Once per week, the SPC is moved to a public EEC exhibit, where visitors can observe the compression process and learn about soft plastic circularity This turned the SPC into both a practical waste-management device and a hands-on educational resource, supporting the institute’s public outreach mission. Early Community Interest (Next-Phase Potential) Building on the success of the internal pilot, the Shaw Institute is now exploring the idea of serving as a temporary community drop-off point where local residents can bring clean soft plastics for guaranteed recycling. While still in planning, this potential expansion aligns naturally with visitor engagement and mirrors other pilot models implemented by Clear Drop. Key Benefits Realized by the Shaw Institute First-ever ability to recycle laboratory soft plastic waste on-site Significant progress toward near-zero-waste lab and facility operations Strong alignment between the institute’s research mission and daily sustainability practices A new educational tool demonstrating real-world soft plastic recycling Proven, low-maintenance technology suitable for research organizations of any size The Shaw Institute pilot demonstrates that even small scientific institutions can successfully implement soft plastic recycling programs with the right equipment. For laboratories seeking a reliable, lab-safe, ready-to-deploy solution, the Clear Drop SPC offers measurable results and immediate environmental impact. Explore the SPC here.
