Twin Cities - Ridwell has arrived!
Hey Minneapolis and St. Paul! Are you ready to waste less? We’re here to help you keep your stuff out of landfills by giving new life to hard-to-recycle materials and providing much needed items to your local communities. In just a few short years, Ridwell members across the country have saved over 4 million pounds of waste from the landfill — and we couldn’t be more excited to have the Twin Cities join us on our mission.
Ridwell began when a dad — our CEO, Ryan — and his 6 year old son Owen were wondering what to do with the dead batteries that had collected in their junk drawer. They knew a few things: they didn’t want to throw them away, there had to be a more convenient way to recycle them than driving an hour out of town, and there had to be other families who felt the same way.
From that first bag of batteries to regular pickups of Styrofoam, plastic film, clothing, and so much more, a family’s weekend project grew into the Ridwell that we know today: a thriving service with over 50,000 members who are wasting less together.
So, how does it work?
Using Ridwell is easy!
Members receive a Ridwell bin and a set of reusable cloth bags
Members fill their bags with batteries, light bulbs, plastic film, threads, and the rotating featured category (such as books, eyeglasses, or housewares)
Drivers collect full Ridwell bags every two weeks and leave empty bags in the bin
Ridwell makes sure the collected items are responsibly reused and recycled by partners dedicated to wasting less
“Ridwell fills the gaps in traditional curbside recycling by collecting hard-to-recycle items. Plus, they donate items I no longer use to community partners in need. A great way to support people and the planet!”
Why Minneapolis and St. Paul?
We at Ridwell are always looking for communities who are passionate about sustainability and we’ve heard about how much the residents of the Land of 10,000 Lakes value the natural beauty around them. With over 2,400 folks in the Twin Cities having signed up for our waitlist since September, we know that we’ll be a great match!
So much of the stuff we toss out can live a second life through reuse or recycling, but so few of those things can make it there conveniently. Ridwell is here to make recycling your plastic film, batteries, lightbulbs, and more just as easy as the other items that can go in your curbside bin. Not only are we filling the gaps in curbside recycling, we’re creating an awesome experience for our members - the true heroes in our mission to create a future without waste.
To put it simply: We know you want to waste less, and we want to help you do that!
Here’s what we would love for you to know about us
We believe:
Wasting less should be easy. Getting rid of things in an earth-friendly way should be simple and enjoyable.
Small actions add up. Filling up our reusable cloth bags may feel like a small step towards a more sustainable world, but those little actions are what have led to our members diverting millions of pounds from landfills.
Together we can build a better future. Our members propel us toward new opportunities to help them waste less - we’ve even created entirely new recycling streams as a result of their input! Acting as the engine of the change we seek to create, our members are our motivation and north star as we move forward.
We offer:
Twice a month pickups from your front door. We want wasting less to be easy, so all you need to do is sort your items and place them in your bin. We take care of the rest.
Partnerships with innovative recyclers and trusted community organizations. Vetted by our team and chosen with intention, the recyclers and local groups we partner with give your items a second life. Some of the local organizations we’ll be working with in the Twin Cities include Free Geek, Loaves & Fishes, Bridging, The PROP Shop in Eden Prairie, and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota.
Transparency about where your items go. We know how frustrating it can be to wonder whether your stuff is really being reused or recycled once it leaves your home. That’s why Ridwell is redefining transparency for the waste industry by giving you a detailed look at where your materials end up. Check out our transparency page to see how much we collect, how much is saved from the landfill, and the partners it all goes to.
An experience that puts you, the member, first. This means labeled bags for easy sorting and storage, pickups scheduled and confirmed by text, a dashboard to see your upcoming featured categories, and a phenomenal member success team ready to answer questions and help find solutions to even the trickiest reuse/recycling challenges. We’re also dedicated to improving our process and we never settle - so keep an eye out for a Ridwell phone app coming soon!
We hope you will get to know us and let us show you how easy it can be to waste less. Join Ridwell today by signing up at twin-cities.ridwell.com. Together our small actions will make a huge impact!
