Ridwell

Ridwell is a Seattle-based recycling and reuse company that collects household items curbside programs typically do not accept, including plastic film, multi-layer plastic (snack packaging), textiles and clothing, light bulbs, batteries, Styrofoam and wine corks. The company offers two service formats: a bi-weekly door-to-door pickup subscription available in a growing set of US cities starting at $20 per month, and a nationwide mail-in option for hard-to-recycle plastics and other categories starting at $9 per bag [0][1][2].

Collected material is directed to domestic partners that the company researches and vets, and Ridwell publishes per-city and per-material recycling and contamination rates as part of a stated transparency commitment. Named downstream partners include Vespene Recycling, a Nevada textile recycler that converts non-reusable textiles into new products, and Cycla, which places reusable clothing, shoes and accessories with local thrift stores [2][4][5]. As of a Spring 2024 profile, the company worked with more than 200 local and national businesses and nonprofits, and material end uses cited include composite decking from plastic bags, animal shelter nesting material from old blankets, and picture frames or packing peanuts from Styrofoam [7]. Ridwell also operates a member dashboard, a mobile app, and a customer FAQ/support site [3].

Founding story

In late 2017, Ryan Metzger and his then-six-year-old son Owen accumulated plastic bags, Styrofoam, batteries, light bulbs and clothes that Seattle-area public works services could not easily recycle, and began researching disposal routes. They started collecting such items from neighbors under the name Owen's List, sharing photos and stories of where materials ended up; roughly 4,000–4,500 Seattle households joined. Metzger then formed Ridwell with co-founders David Dawson, Justin Gough and Aliya Marder [5][7].

Business model

Consumer subscription service. Members pay recurring fees for scheduled door-to-door collection of designated categories of hard-to-recycle household materials, with optional add-on categories; a per-bag mail-in product serves households outside pickup areas. Ridwell handles logistics with its own drivers and warehouse teams and hands off materials to vetted recycling and reuse partners [0][2][5][7].

Subscription and per-unit fees paid by residential members: pickups start at $20 per month and mail-in service starts at $9 per bag [0][1][2][4]. A Spring 2024 profile describes the pickup product as a monthly fee for biweekly doorstep collection [7].

Traction

The website reports a community of more than 150,000 members and 35 million pounds diverted from landfills, with 97% of collected material reused or recycled [0][1][2][4]. A Spring 2024 article reported more than 21 million pounds diverted since 2018 and a team of more than 200 [7]; the company's about page states a team of more than 250 [5].

Latest developments

A July 2024 GeekWire report noted that Ridwell co-founder David Dawson co-founded MarkOS, a separate Seattle AI startup that raised $4 million in pre-seed funding [6]. GeekWire also lists a story on University of Washington Allen School 2026 alumni awards honoring a Ridwell co-founder, though details are not provided in the retrieved text [6]. Current site material shows both bi-weekly pickup and nationwide mail-in offerings and cumulative diversion of 35 million pounds [0][2].