Agenda Item - 2024-06-17 - Number 5 - Expanded Recycling Services Guest PresentationWasting less, made easy.Wasting less, made easy
Lake Oswego
Sustainability Advisory Board
June 17, 2024
What Is Ridwell?
A small, private, public-benefit company that works directly with consumers to offer a convenient,
supplemental circularity service that helps them waste less without leaving their doorstep.
Our Story: A Father and Son Project
In 2018, each week we helped neighbors reuse and recycle items not collected curbside
Why not stop there?
Shifting waste and recycling landscape in addition to more public desire for change.
How it works
A people-first approach, making it as easy as possible to learn and waste less.
Designated bags for in-
home sorting and storage.
Schedule pickups and get
help in app, SMS, or web
Collection bin on porch.
Don’t need to take to curb
Why Residents Choose Ridwell
With supplemental diversion services -one size might not fit all
●Regular, frequent pickups -Need for a
regular, consistent bi-weekly pick up
●Broad Diversion Opportunities -
Ability to recycle more items and
participate in different donation
opportunities every-other-week
●Convenience -Value the convenient
and easy service right from their
doorstep, not curbside
●Responsive -Access to many different
customer service tools —Member
dashboard, Member App, email and
text!
Our Service and Operations
Routing Software Dedicated Vehicles Driver Service App
Efficient, streamlined service that provides the transportation and distribution of small -scale,
source-separated items -NOT capable of traditional hauling.
Inside Our Warehouse
1
Pre-sorted bags
are dropped off
2
Bags are emptied
and screened
3
Material is prepared
for our partners
A centralized warehouse that provides distribution of source-separated items -NOT traditional
processing
Our Transparency
1
Pre-sorted bags
are dropped off
2
Bags are emptied
and screened
3
Material is prepared
for our partners
A public-facing web page that discloses our partners and where our materials go
The people that make it possible
Customer service Partnerships Technology
A team dedicated to solving a single problem: keeping waste out of the landfill.
●Atlanta
●Austin
●SF Bay Area
●Denver
●Los Angeles
●Minneapolis/St. Paul
●Portland
●Seattle
Where We Operate Today
Over 100,000 households Members in over 200 jurisdictions in eight metropolitan areas
Ridwell in Portland
●Nearly 25,000 households
in the Portland Metro
Area
●Including over 800
households in Lake
Oswego
●35+local nonprofit
partners
●Over 50 local jobs
created.
Second city to get Ridwell service, launched in 2020.
Strong community partnerships
We work with over 35 local, non-profit partners, several of whom wrote letters of support
Driving innovation statewide
Ridwell brings new solutions to tough waste problems, paving the way for change.
“If you can recycle clamshells and other plastic
food containers you will be the most popular
company in Oregon.”
–member in Portland
Plastic clamshell
recycling now available
across Portland Metro.
Ridwell introduces
clamshell recycling
options.
Continues to add new things
Ridwell has added 50 new categories since beginning in Oregon, and will continue to add
more!
Multi-layer Plastic Plastic lids Light tubes
Bikes and tubesStyrofoamBottle caps
Great complement to RMA!
We intentionally navigate around these, providing an even greater impact
Standard curbside
Ridwell stays away from
these and adjusts service, if
needed
Dropoff options
Ridwell can make these
more convenient, raise
awareness!
Not currently addressed
by RMA
Ridwell role to innovate to
make these possible
How Lake Oswego Use Ridwell’s Service
High participation and diversion rates from our 800+ Lake Oswego Members.
82%
of members use
every pickup
opportunity.
6lbs
Saved from the
landfill every
pickup.
216,588
Pounds Lake
Oswego has
saved with
Ridwell.
What Our Lake Oswego Members Say…
“I love the convenience of
having recyclables picked up
from home instead of driving
them all over town to different
sites. And support for email
questions has been
phenomenally good!”
-Beryl
“Ridwell is a wonderful service;
highly dependable, easy to use,
and I have a lot of trust in the
company overall.It feels good to
know that when my goods are
picked up, they will go to the best
possible end use.”
-Rachel
“I love all the items that Ridwell
takes, the collaboration with
community organizations and
the great communication with
subscribers!
-Rae
Helpful • Aspirational • Responsive
Why they choose Ridwell
Ridwell offers different value than the solutions offered by haulers.
Category coverage 55+ categories offered for
collection
4 categories offered for collection
Price Most popular plan $18/mo,incl.
clamshells and biweekly pickup
$21/mo for equivalent service
($2.50 monthly plus $9.25 per pickup)
Scheduling Up to night before on app
or website
2 days in advance, by phone only
Pickups Front door pickup standard Curbside pickup standard
Transparency Shares downstream partners
and contamination rates
No additional information
Reuse Local non-profit collecting every
pickup
Not included in regular pickups
*Based on information available on the Clackamas County website as of 6/17/2024
*
Choice drives impact
Expanding recycling and reuse opportunities beyond curbside can increase
participation and diversion,ensuring greater positive environmental impact.
IMPACT
Home security and firePackage Delivery
After-school programsSolarpanels
Thank you!
Any
questions?