The gel is mostly a substance called sodium polyacrylate, a powder that can absorb 300 times its weight in water, something very effective in diapers. However, the meal kit providers give conflicting recycling guidance. Blue Apron says "Defrost pack completely, cut corner and drain contents in sink, recycle empty plastic pack." Hello Fresh says "Cut a corner, empty non-toxic contents into trash, recycle plastic pack." Freshly also says to dump the gel in your trash. But from industry leader Blue Apron you might get the impression that pouring this gel into your sink and down your drain with lots of water and garbage disposal action in general is okay. Especially if you tend to recycle as much as possible. Wrong, wrong, wrong. What the meal kit ice packs should say is: "DO NOT EVER POUR THIS STUFF DOWN YOUR DRAIN". If you do and it clogs, it may take three or more tries with a 60 ft. rotating mechanical snake to somehow move it out of the way. Roto-Rooter charged an HCA Member a flat $655 fee for this, and it did not work the first two times. If the snake fails, your plumber may have to try a water jet system, typically used to remove restaurant drain grease. That will cost about $2,000. Bottom line: Just throw the entire meal kit ice pack ... water and gel and plastic bag ... into your trash. Or send them back to Blue Apron as described in a June 4, 2017 Mother Jones article. Anywhere but NOT your drain. UPDATE ... Large meal pack gel packs create another problem if left to thaw in a stainless steel kitchen sink during humid weather. The packs chill the stainless steel, the humid air condenses on the underside steel surface inside the sink storage cabinet, and the condensation then drips down onto the cabinet bottom. If not somehow contained, this dripping condensation will ruin unprotected cabinet wood.