Three ways you can fight climate change with Ridwell
We’ve all seen the news and heard the stories about how our warming planet has dire consequences. Sometimes, it feels like our actions are too small to help.
But Ridwell members are taking steps to reduce their footprint and together we are making a difference!
Fewer miles driven
Before joining Ridwell, over 80% of our members drove around town to reuse or recycle their stuff. More cars making extra trips means more carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, warming our planet.
With Ridwell, your reusable and recyclable materials hitch a ride with your neighbors’ stuff. Using Ridwell decreases the annual miles driven to recycle these same items by 3x!
MILES NOT DRIVEN BY USING RIDWELL IN 2019
66,417
Additionally, we offset our company's entire carbon footprint in partnership with 3Degrees. Our investment goes to reduce landfill methane emissions across the United States!
Less landfill emissions
Everyday things like old t-shirts, towels, and other textiles emit methane when decomposing in landfills. Methane is known to be nearly 30x more potent than carbon dioxide in contributing to global warming.
On average, Americans send 21 billion pounds of textiles to landfills every year and 98% can be reused or recycled! It’s not surprising that the EPA reports landfills as being the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the country.
POUNDS OF TEXTILES SAVED FROM THE LANDFILL IN 2019
84,499
By keeping reusable and recyclable items, like hole-y socks and scrap clothes, out of the trash, Ridwell members are directly reducing the amount of warming gases released into our atmosphere.
Fewer virgin plastics
According to the EPA, producing plastic from recycled material uses 33% less energy than starting from raw materials. That translates to less mining, drilling, and carbon emissions since virgin plastics are made from oil and natural gas.
Ridwell is about giving new life to old things. The plastic film we pick up is used to make composite lumber for decks, benches, and playground sets. It is also reprocessed into small pellets, called nurdles, to make new containers, crates, and even trash bins.
VOLUME OF PLASTIC FILM RECYCLED IN 2019 WOULD FILL
Two Boeing 737s
Bottom line: recycling reduces the environmental cost of using plastics.
Our assumptions
80% of our members reported driving to recycle or reuse items before Ridwell
Ridwell calculated 0.5 miles driven per stop
Average distance to drop-off parters is 26 miles.
Based on usage data as of September 1st and projections through end of 2019
