Multiple rolls of duct tape are used daily in major theaters, opera houses, ballet stages, and event halls. Each type of performance requires different stage conditions and materials.

While opera productions often involve complex scenery built specifically for a particular show, ballet dancers require a floor that allows for safe and controlled landings. This surface is commonly installed using long rubber strips laid across the stage and connected with several rolls of duct tape.

Once the performance ends and the hall fills with applause, the audience gradually leaves and the stage is prepared for the next production. The rubber strips are rolled back, and the tape that held them together is discarded into bins placed on each side of the stage, which quickly fill with bulky masses of used tape.

Since duct tape is considered a non-recyclable material, it is typically thrown away.

The volume of discarded tape increases dramatically once it is removed from the roll, as it cannot be coiled back into its original form. The adhesive remains strong, and the material itself is lightweight, durable, and water-resistant. These qualities suggest that the waste could be transformed into new forms rather than discarded. Possible applications include backdrops, stage scenery, disposable costumes, or flat panels resembling paper among other reusable solutions.

This experimental process for recycling duct tape included the following steps:
a) Collecting wads of used duct tape.

b) Boiling the bulk material for 15–30 minutes.

c) Shredding the softened tape into small particles using a plastic shredder.

d) Separating the adhesive from the waterproof outer coating.

e) Heat-pressing the materials separately for 25 seconds at 190 °C to create new flat sheets.