Denver, Meet Ridwell
Update as of 10/6/21: We are live across the nearly all of the Denver metropolitan area! Thank you for opening your arms to wasting less, Denver.
If you live in Denver and you’re ready to start feeling great about where your stuff goes, join today!
Hi Denver! We can’t wait to waste less with you. Since we got started in 2018 we’ve helped our members save 2 million pounds of waste from the landfill while giving hard-to-recycle materials useful new life and providing much needed items to our local communities.
Ridwell began when a father - our CEO, Ryan - and his 6 year old son Owen were looking for a better solution for recycling the rather massive amount of materials that had built up in their junk drawer (e.g., it had become an entire junk room). From a large bag of batteries to regular pickups of styrofoam, plastic film, clothes/shoes, and so much more, a family weekend project grew into a thriving service 30,000 members strong.
As the first to offer this kind of service (that we know of), we’ve learned a lot about how to fill gaps in curbside recycling while supporting the experience of our members - who are truly the heroes in our mission to make it easy to waste less.
So why Denver?
In short, we think we can help.
We know how much Denverites value the extensive natural beauty and resources that surround them. With 300 days of sunshine a year (which our PNW roots can’t quite fathom), it’s hard not to appreciate all the city has to offer, and commitment to the community is strong.
Recycling and composting options have grown, but there are still a lot of gaps in what Denverites can send through curbside programs. As a result, waste diversion, a measure of the amount of recyclable materials that are able to stay out of the waste stream, is low in Denver compared to similarly sized cities. And while this problem is a tricky one to solve, it isn’t necessarily due to a lack of trying - it can be downright difficult to bridge these gaps on your own. Specialized recyclers exist, but they are often a decent drive away, or only open for drop-off during limited hours. For some things, recycling solutions don’t exist at all or aren’t accessible to individuals.
This is exactly where Ridwell comes in. Here’s what we would love you to know about us:
We believe:
Wasting less should be easy. Getting rid of things in an earth-friendly way should be at least as simple (and infinitely more delightful) as throwing them in the trash.
Little steps matter, and add up. Sending plastic bags and mailers to Ridwell may seem small, but once you start doing it, you will be shocked at how many of them you can save from the landfill.
Together, we can build a better future. Our members propel us toward new opportunities to help them waste less, and neither of us are happy settling for the way things are today. We’ve even created entirely new recycling streams as a result of input from our members.
We offer:
Regular, twice a month pickups. We focus on the gaps - items that can be reused or recycled, but fall outside what city programs offer. A great example is plastic film - the material that makes up Ziploc bags, Amazon mailers, bread bags, and so much more. This stuff is EVERYWHERE but can’t be recycled in your curbside bin.
Partnerships with innovative recyclers. We forge these partnerships with intention - both with large recyclers that can work with us due to the volume we source from our members (we’re talking baled truckloads of stuff!) as well as smaller scale, local nonprofits who put reusable items to work for your community.
An experience that puts you, the member, first. Labeled, reusable cloth bags for easy sorting and storage, pickups scheduled and confirmed by text, a dashboard to keep track of featured pickup categories coming up, and a phenomenal member success team ready to answer your questions and help find solutions to even the trickiest reuse/recycling challenges.
We hope you will get to know us and let us show you how great it can feel to make a difference with your unwanted stuff. Signing up at denver.ridwell.com is a no-obligation way to let us know you are interested in learning more and gives you an invite to a free pickup we’ll offer in the coming weeks!