The Machine That Eats Plastic Waste: Innovative Recycling

We talk a lot about recycling, but not about what happens between the trash can and the recycling plant: that messy, uncertain space where good intentions meet reality. Most of what we call “recycling” depends on complex global systems, overwhelmed infrastructure, and, frankly, luck.

Ivan Arbouzov wants to change that. A lifelong inventor, he achieved his first success in the fields of optics and electronics. He now runs ClearDrop, a company that designs household appliances to make “pre-recycling” possible, preparing materials at home so they can actually be recycled.

There’s something quietly radical about that idea. It doesn’t rely on sweeping policy or corporate pledges; it relies on individual participation made effortless. It’s the difference between hoping things get better and building tools that make better habits possible.

We spoke with Arbouzov for The Green New Perspective Podcast about why he left a successful tech career to take on plastic waste, what most people misunderstand about recycling, and how he envisions a future where waste itself becomes a design problem, not just an environmental one.

Interview with Ivan

Dunja Jovanovic: Ivan, let’s start with your background. You didn’t come from the recycling industry. What led you to focus on solving the plastic waste problem?
Ivan Arbouzov: That’s right, my background is in optics and electronics, not sustainability. I’ve spent much of my life inventing products and running businesses in the fields of thermal imaging and night vision technology. It was exciting work, and our company became quite successful. But at some point, I realized that while we were creating advanced products, we weren’t necessarily improving the world we live in. I wanted to apply my experience in product innovation to something with a tangible impact on our environment. That’s what led me to start ClearDrop, an attempt to solve one of the most visible and pressing problems of modern life: waste.

DJ: When you first imagined ClearDrop, what kind of impact did you want to make?
IA: I wanted to start with the most immediate source of waste—our homes. Every day, households generate vast amounts of material that are hard to process, especially plastics. So I thought, why not make it easier for people to prepare their waste for recycling right where it’s created? Our vision was to invent “pre-recycling” systems: appliances that prepare waste for proper processing so that nothing ends up in a landfill or blowing down the street.

DJ: Your first product tackles soft plastics. For those who aren’t familiar, what are soft plastics, and why are they such a problem?
IA: Soft plastics are things like grocery bags, food wrappers, or packaging film—light, flexible materials that are everywhere in our lives. The problem is that traditional recycling systems can’t handle them. They clog machinery, so most facilities simply refuse them. Yet these plastics are some of the most common pollutants; you don’t have to go far to find a bag or film blowing down the street. That’s why we started there.

DJ: What are the biggest misconceptions people have about recycling soft plastics?
IA: The biggest one is that they can’t be recycled at all. That’s not true. Soft plastics, which the recycling industry refers to as “film,” are highly recyclable and even valuable if handled correctly. The issue is preparation. If they’re not compacted and kept clean, they’re impossible for recyclers to process. Pre-recycling changes that. It turns them into a usable material.

DJ: And what can soft plastics be turned into after recycling?
IA: Quite a lot, actually. Polyethylene, which is used in many soft plastics, can be recycled into products such as outdoor furniture, flooring, or construction materials. Mechanically, it can be ground up and blended with other materials; chemically, it can be broken down into its base components, similar to oil. From there, it can be turned into almost anything again. We just need to handle it right at the start.

DJ: You’ve lived in both the U.S. and Europe. How do these regions differ when it comes to recycling?
IA: Europe is generally more compact, and people there are more accustomed to recycling; it’s part of daily life. The European Union also enforces stronger environmental regulations. In the U.S., it’s more uneven. Some cities are more advanced in recycling, while others lag. But awareness is growing everywhere. When people see ClearDrop, they recognize it as something practical they can do at home. It’s not abstract policy; it’s action.

DJ: Let’s talk about the Soft Plastic Compactor. What does it do, and how does it work?
IA: It’s a household appliance that compresses soft plastics into dense, recyclable blocks. Usually, these plastics are messy and weightless: they take up space, blow away, and make transport inefficient. Our compactor solves that. You drop your used packaging in, and it compresses it into a neat block about once a month. It’s clean, contained, and ready for recycling. You can literally see a month’s worth of plastic waste turned into something manageable.

DJ: Do users need to wash the plastics before putting them in?
IA: Ideally, yes. A quick rinse helps. You don’t want food waste contaminating your recycling or creating odors. The compactor only accepts soft plastics, so if you try to put something organic in, it won’t go through. It’s designed to keep the process simple and sanitary.

DJ: Once the blocks are made, how do you ensure they are actually recycled?
IA: That’s an essential part of our system. Each unit comes with recycling bags. Once a bag is full, users simply leave it by their mailbox, and the U.S. Postal Service delivers it directly to our recycling partner. It’s fully traceable, and 100 percent of it gets processed. That transparency matters. People want to know their effort isn’t wasted.

DJ: Who are your early adopters?
IA: At first, it’s the people already passionate about sustainability, those who care deeply and want to make a difference. But our goal is accessibility. The more we scale, the more affordable it becomes. At trade shows, I’ve met people who tear up when they see it—they’re relieved that something like this finally exists.

DJ: How has the feedback been?
IA: Very positive. It’s a straightforward product that addresses a genuine need. We don’t have time for overly complex systems. People want something that works, and that’s what we’ve built.

DJ: From a marketing perspective, how do you reach people who aren’t already environmentally conscious?
IA: You make it easier, not harder. Most people do care; they just need convenience. Pre-recycling will eventually become a social norm. It’s like seatbelts: once it becomes part of everyday behavior, no one questions it. And truly, I’ve met very few people who don’t care at all. Most just need the right tools.

DJ: Consumers are often skeptical of green claims. How do you build trust?
IA: By being transparent. We don’t produce more than we can responsibly manage, and we show exactly what happens to every block: videos, demonstrations, even facility visits. Anyone can come see it themselves. One of our engineers loves offering donuts to guests; it’s that kind of openness that makes people trust us.

DJ: You mentioned expanding beyond soft plastics. What else is in development?
IA: Our next product is the Organics Collector. It’s designed for food scraps (egg shells, vegetable peels, leftovers). The primary issue with organic waste is its unpleasant smell. Our collector eliminates the need for energy-hungry composting systems. You drop your organics in, and they stay odor-free for weeks. It’s not flashy—it’s practical. I came up with it because my family hated dealing with compost. Now it’s simple.

DJ: Looking ahead five years, what are you most excited about?
IA: I want to see pre-recycling in every home. Whether it’s our technology or someone else’s, it needs to become the standard. You never see people throwing trash in futuristic movies, right? Because the future assumes we’ve moved beyond that. That’s our goal, to make that assumption real.

DJ: Are there partnerships that could help accelerate your mission?
IA: Definitely. Appliance manufacturers, recycling companies, local governments… anyone who shares our vision. We already work with recyclers who handle 100 percent of our output. Partnerships are how this scales.

DJ: And finally, how can people get involved?
IA: Start small. Discuss it, share it, and if possible, get one yourself. We’ve built a subscription model to make it easier: $200 upfront, then $50 a month covers the recycling service and materials. It’s not about buying a gadget; it’s about being part of a solution. Every household that joins in moves us closer to a cleaner future.