The Complete Guide to Properly Disposing and Recycling Your Clearly Clean Food Trays

When you finish enjoying that perfectly packaged meat, poultry, or seafood from your local grocery store, you’re left with a Clearly Clean food tray. But what happens next? How you dispose of this tray matters more than you might think. With the right knowledge, you can ensure your Clearly Clean tray gets a second life instead of ending up in a landfill.

Understanding Your Clearly Clean Tray

Clearly Clean’s Roll Over-Wrap™ trays are made from 100% recyclable PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic, marked with the #1 recycling code. This is the same material used in water bottles and is one of the most widely recycled plastics globally. Unlike traditional foam trays, these PET trays are designed specifically with recyclability in mind.

Key Features of Clearly Clean Trays:

• 100% recyclable PET material with #1 resin code
• Patented rolled edge for superior performance
• FDA-compliant for food safety
• Available in crystal clear or color-tinted options
• Contains minimum 10% post-consumer recycled content

Step-by-Step Disposal Instructions

Follow these verified steps to ensure your Clearly Clean tray is properly recycled:

Step 1: Remove the Meat Soaker Pad

This is crucial: If your tray contains a meat soaker pad (the absorbent pad under meat products), you must remove it completely. These pads are made of silica gel or cellulose coated in plastic and are NOT recyclable. Dispose of the soaker pad in your regular trash.

Step 2: Check Local Recycling Guidelines

Not all recycling programs accept PET trays, even though they’re made from recyclable material. Check with your local waste management authority to confirm PET #1 trays are accepted in your area.

Step 3: Empty and Rinse

Remove all food residue from the tray. A quick rinse with water is sufficient – you don’t need to scrub it spotless. Food contamination can ruin entire batches of recyclables, so this step is essential.

Step 4: Let It Dry (Optional)

While not required, allowing the tray to air dry helps prevent odors and mold at the recycling facility.

Step 5: Place in Recycling Bin

Keep the clean, dry tray loose in your recycling bin. Do not place it inside a plastic bag unless your local program specifically requires it, as plastic bags can jam sorting equipment.

The Color Question: Does It Affect Recyclability?

One common concern is whether colored trays can be recycled. Here’s the truth: Color does not prevent recyclability, but it does affect the market value and end use of the recycled material.

According to the Association of Plastic Recyclers:

Preferred Colors (Higher Value):

• Clear/Transparent: Highest market value, widest applications
• Light Green: Second highest value, comprises up to 30% of recycled PET output
• Light Blue: Valued for offsetting yellowing in clear plastic streams

Lower Value Colors:

• Dark colors: Limited market but still recyclable
• Opaque colors: Recyclable but sorted into lower-value streams

The bottom line: All Clearly Clean trays, regardless of color, can be recycled. Clear and light-colored trays have higher market value, while darker colors get recycled into products like colored fiber, sheets, or new colored containers.

Why Proper Disposal Matters

When you recycle your Clearly Clean tray correctly, you’re contributing to:

Environmental Benefits:

• Reduced landfill waste: Keeps plastic out of landfills where it takes hundreds of years to decompose
• Lower carbon footprint: Recycling PET uses significantly less energy than producing new plastic
• Resource conservation: Reduces the need for virgin plastic production
• Circular economy: Supports the cycle of reuse and recycling

Economic Impact:

• Job creation: Supports local recycling industry jobs
• Cost savings: Reduces waste management costs for communities
• Market demand: Creates demand for recycled content in new products

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t Do This:

• Leave the soaker pad attached – This contaminates the entire tray
• Skip the rinse – Food residue can ruin recycling batches
• Bag it unnecessarily – Plastic bags jam sorting machines
• Wishful recycling – Don’t assume it’s recyclable without checking local guidelines

Do This Instead:

• Remove all non-recyclable components before recycling
• Clean thoroughly but efficiently
• Check local guidelines to ensure acceptance
• Keep it loose in your recycling bin

The Clearly Clean Difference

Clearly Clean has been innovating sustainable packaging for 17 years, with ambitious goals for the future:

Sustainability Commitments by 2030:

• 95% diversion from landfill (currently 80% complete)
• 25% post-consumer recycled content in all trays (currently 40% complete)
• Zero waste operations (currently 85% complete)

These trays are designed not just to protect your food, but to protect the environment. They’re 3x stronger than traditional foam trays, reducing breakage and waste during transport and handling.

Making a Difference, One Tray at a Time

Every Clearly Clean tray you recycle properly contributes to a more sustainable future. With 100% recyclable PET material and increasing post-consumer recycled content, these trays represent the future of food packaging, one where performance and sustainability go hand in hand. Remember: the key to successful recycling is following the proper steps. Remove that soaker pad, give it a quick rinse, check your local guidelines, and place it in your recycling bin. It’s that simple to turn your used food tray into tomorrow’s sustainable packaging. Together, we can close the loop on plastic packaging and create a cleaner, more sustainable future, one properly recycled tray at a time.