Facilities exist to recycle these types of plastics, but getting these types of waste to clean and free delivery of what some call “willful recycling” items (compostable cups, plastic utensils) is such a challenge that most soft plastics, even the recycled bags in front of grocery stores, end up in the trash. The SPC is what Arbozov calls a “pre-recycling device,” designed to simplify this stream and make plastic that is contained, traceable, and more likely to make it through the system.
As advertised, I tried to imagine how the blocks would turn into patio furniture, but I didn’t find out exactly until months later, when Arbozov sent me a video of the blocks at their final destination — a facility in Frankfort, Indiana, that specializes in processing polyethylene and polypropylene films. The blocks get shredded and, at least in the video, look like handfuls of wet newspaper, which are then compressed into composite decking, chairs, garden edging and more.
Courtesy of Clear Drop
“Depending on shipping times and batching schedules, the entire cycle from mailing a block to entering recycling processing typically takes a few weeks.” Right now, the Frankfort location is the only facility processing blocks, but Arbozov said he hopes this is only temporary.
“Our goal is to move this processing closer to where the material originates, so that blocks can be moved in bulk through regional recycling infrastructure rather than through mail-based logistics,” he said. “The mail-back system is essentially a bridge that allows content to be captured today while the larger infrastructure develops.”
recycled, rewired
I found that my family of three was able to produce a block every few weeks, which quickly outgrew the supply of mailers provided. As the blocks started piling up on my office floor, I thought about how I wish SPC would make something useful for consumers. Spoons, straws, 3D-printing filament… anything that can be used at home.
However, a 2023 Greenpeace report found that recycling plastic could actually make it more toxic than before – heating it could not only release existing chemicals into the air and water supply, but could also create new chemicals like benzene. Would I want this in my home? Does recycled plastic really add up to a circular economy? I asked Arbozov what he thought.
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