> At a Glance
> – Clear Drop’s Soft Plastic Composter heats and compresses grocery bags, gloves, and films into a shoebox-sized brick
> – $1,400 upfront or $200 + $50/month for 24 months includes prepaid shipping to an Indiana recycler
> – Pharmacies are already running 5-6 bricks daily; households fill one every 2-3 weeks
> – Why it matters: It tackles the least-recycled plastic stream-flexible film-giving consumers and small businesses a landfill-free option
Flexible plastic film rarely reaches recycling plants; most curbside programs reject it. At CES 2026, startup Clear Drop showed Jonathan P. Miller a countertop-size answer: feed in bags or gloves, press a button, and watch the waste become a dense, mail-back brick.
How the Soft Plastic Composter Works
The SPC looks like a slim trash can with a mid-height slot. Once enough film is loaded, an internal heater softens the plastic while a ram compresses it into a shoebox-sized block. A prepaid envelope ships the brick to Clear Drop’s partner facility in Indiana for recycling.
- Accepts: grocery bags, produce bags, zipper bags, plastic gloves (non-vinyl)
- Rejects: vinyl gloves, elastic films-vinyl melts and gums up the chamber
- Cycle time: varies with load; pharmacies reach capacity in hours, homes in weeks
Price and Early Uptake
Sticker shock is real: $1,400 retail. Clear Drop eases the blow with a subscription plan:
| Payment Plan | Cost Timeline | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Full purchase | $1,400 day one | device, first 24 months of service |
| Subscription | $200 down + $50 × 24 mo ($1,400 total) | device, shipping, recycling |
After month 24, ongoing service drops below $50/month-exact price not yet set.
Initial production run is nearly sold out, split between eco-minded households and small businesses. Pharmacies top the list, churning through five or six bricks daily thanks to constant glove and bag waste.
What’s Next for Clear Drop
Engineers are prototyping a lighter, cheaper model to broaden appeal. Hard-plastic processing for items like Tupperware is also in development. The company won’t chase PET bottles-those already enjoy high recycling rates-staying focused on film that usually trashes oceans and landfills.
Matt Daly, head of partnerships, told News Of Los Angeles:
> “There is definitely a cohort of people who care and will put their money where their mouth is and do something about it.”
Key Takeaways
- Clear Drop’s SPC is the first consumer appliance that turns soft plastic into recyclable bricks
- Early adopters pay $1,400 total via subscription; price cuts planned for future models
- Vinyl gloves are the main no-go item-users must sort them out to avoid jams
- With pharmacies already heavy users, the company sees small business as a major growth lane
As landfills overflow with film plastic, a $1,400 composter offers households and pharmacies a tangible way to shrink their trash footprint-if they’re willing to pay for the privilege.
