Every item. Every ZIP.One trusted answer.

When sources disagree, we say so.

Every verdict is sourced and dated. When two cities publish different rules for the same item, ClearPath picks based on your ZIP — and shows you the reasoning. If you think we got it wrong, you can flag it.

What makes ClearPath different.

The disposal-guidance space has real incumbents — and real structural gaps. Here's how ClearPath's approach differs, and what that means for the resident standing at the bin.

• Layered authority composition

  Every verdict shows which authority level produced which step: Federal → State → County → City. You see exactly who said what.

  vs. others: Most disposal sites pick one source (usually national EPA) and apply it everywhere. ClearPath walks the full hierarchy and surfaces it.

• Honest about conflicts

  When two cities publish different rules for the same item, ClearPath shows BOTH sources and tells you which one your ZIP applies.

  vs. others: Other sites average disagreements silently, or worse, hide them. ClearPath is the only site that names the conflict.

• Citations on every answer

  Every verdict links to the source rule on the publishing agency's site (EPA, MPCA, Hennepin County, PaintCare, etc.).

  vs. others: Earth911 cites its own internal database. County .gov pages cite themselves. ClearPath cites the publisher of record so you can verify.

• ZIP-resolved locality

  Type a ZIP, see the rule for THAT ZIP — city, county, state. Not a national average dressed up with a regional disclaimer.

  vs. others: Many disposal sites serve the same rule to a Minneapolis resident and an Atlanta resident. ClearPath knows the difference.

• Freshness gated, not assumed

  A daily URL-health worker probes every cited source. Stale-rule alerts fire after 180 days. Every verdict shows its last-verified date.

  vs. others: Static disposal blogs go stale silently — the worst kind of wrong. ClearPath fails loud, not silent.

• Public, free, no app required

  /check works in any browser without a login. No app install, no email capture, no schedule-a-demo gate to get a disposal answer.

  vs. others: RecycleCoach lives inside white-labeled city apps you don't want to install. ClearPath is web-first by design.

Honest framing: ClearPath doesn't try to replace county pages or retailer take-back programs. We cite them — and route residents to them faster than the resident could find them alone.

Why I built ClearPath.

Real questions residents actually ask.

Every section below is anchored on a question a real Hennepin or Richfield resident has typed into Google in the last 90 days. The right column names the shipped capability that answers it.

What you get as a resident.

Most residents finish their first scan within 30 seconds.

• Skip the bin guess

  Type or photograph an item, get a sourced answer, see your local rule — not a national average.

• One tap to request a bulky pickup

  Programs in your county show real windows, fees, and registration deadlines. No phone tree, no PDF.

• Programs near you, dated and sourced

  28 manufacturer take-back programs (PaintCare, Call2Recycle, Best Buy, Habitat ReStore…) + county bulky pickup — surfaced where they apply. Save them, get reminded.

Three civic actions, no marketing maze.

Each path takes you straight into the working app. No teaser, no email gate, no "schedule a demo" detour.

Real people maintain this. Here is the evidence.

Live counters, source jurisdictions, recent shipping cadence, and the accessibility commitments behind it — every claim on this page is something you can audit yourself.