Simplifying sustainability: Locals subscribe to Ridwell to reduce waste

Ridwell is a doorstep service that collects hard-to-recycle items, such as multilayer plastics, light bulbs and plastic foam packaging. You may have noticed a small white and orange box on porches around town or seen the Ridwell van in your neighborhood. 

Nearly 200 Eden Prairie residents subscribe to Ridwell. The company started in Seattle to find new uses for items tossed in the trash. The company expanded to Minnesota in 2022.

Residents help divert 2 million pounds of waste

Eden Prairie resident Andrew Peterson and his family joined Ridwell almost three years ago. Peterson and his wife work full time, and with a busy family schedule, they rely a lot on grab-and-go food items. 

The Petersons were concerned about the number of granola wrappers and snack bags accumulating in their trash, so they decided to change their habits and stop tossing things out. “Let’s make sure everything that can be recycled is given to the proper place,” Peterson said.

Every two weeks, Ridwell members like the Petersons set a 13-inch metal box on their doorstep with cloth bags labeled plastic film, light bulbs or batteries. 

Before each pickup, the Petersons have a “sorting party” and involve the kids. “The best way to teach them is by example,” Peterson said. “This is the Earth they’re going to be inheriting.” 

Another Eden Prairie resident, Bruna Dupre, is also a Ridwell member. She brought her Ridwell box with her when she moved to Eden Prairie two years ago. She has created a system making it simple for everyone in the family to participate. 

In the garage, Dupre hangs the Ridwell sacks on hooks for better sorting. Her family often asks, “Is this Ridwellable?” before throwing an item in the trash.  

Dupre initiated a school-based program in the Wayzata school district where she works. 

To streamline home sorting, Ridwell offers an app that allows members to snap a photo of an item to determine whether it is accepted and which bag to put it in.

What happens to items after pickup

Items collected in the Twin Cities are sent to Ridwell’s warehouse in St. Paul, where they are hand-sorted and then shipped to processing facilities or distributed to local nonprofits. 

Single-layer plastic, known as film plastic, includes items such as bread bags, Ziploc bags, and single-use grocery bags. They are sent to Trex Co. to make composite decking. 

Multilayer plastic food bags, such as chip bags made from a mixture of plastics and aluminum, are not accepted in standard curbside collection. Ridwell sends them to partners that turn the material into drainage tiles and artificial stone for landscaping. 

Plastic foam – commonly found in coffee cups, trays and packing blocks – is one of the most challenging materials to recycle. It is sent to Anoka County’s recycling facility, where the material is crushed to create more plastic foam or plastic molding.

The glass and metal from lightbulbs are separated and recycled, and any mercury is removed and reused. Batteries are broken down and separated into their constituent metals, which are sent to companies that reuse them to make new batteries. Unwearable clothing is shredded and repurposed into insulation and stuffing. 

In the Twin Cities, Ridwell has saved 2 million pounds of goods from the landfill – enough to fill a football field packed four feet high. The company’s goal is to divert 12 million pounds across all markets by the end of the year.

Currently, Ridwell offers services in six other states: Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Georgia and Arizona. Minnesota is ranked 5th in participation with 9,500 members throughout the metro.

Feature categories strengthen local nonprofits

Ridwell’s Tiffany Oliver is responsible for finding local partners. “We work with 16 nonprofit organizations across the Twin Cities and are always adding more to the roster,” she said. 

The PROP Shop in Eden Prairie and Bridging are two local organizations that support Eden Prairie families and benefit from Ridwell’s efforts. Each month, Ridwell assigns a feature category, such as toys, jackets and personal hygiene products that are allocated to local organizations.

A recent feature category collection of towels and blankets resulted in 17 large warehouse boxes of linen that Bridging will provide to people who need it.

The PROP Shop has received more than 200 purses, 700 pounds of jewelry and 47 boxes of toy building blocks from Ridwell. Cindy Eddy, executive director of The PROP Shop, said these items are donated directly to families or sold in The Prop Shop store. 

“What this has done for us is unbelievable,” Eddy said about the partnership with Ridwell. “We always have families waiting for beds,”  and the income from store sales enables the purchase of more beds. 

In 2022, more than 300 pounds of jewelry collected by Ridwell turned into 115 new beds for local families. 

Ridwell is creating micro communities

What started as a recycling service is evolving into a more connected community working together to lessen the landfill burden. 

Ridwell members invite neighbors to participate by using WhatsApp chats and Facebook groups, such as Buy Nothing Eden Prairie. 

“My Ridwell pickup is Tuesday morning. I can include purses, wallets, belts, fanny packs and drawstring sports bags in usable condition. I have plenty of room for your used household batteries, too,” an Eden Prairie resident posted online.

By keeping usable items out of the landfill, residents also save time. One Ridwell driver making a single route is far more efficient than hundreds of people making individual trips to multiple drop-off sites. 

For more information about doorstep recycling services, visit Ridwell.com.

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