Recycling revolution: how one Seattle company is saving 170,000 pounds of waste from landfills

Since the announcement that curbside collection will no longer accept plastic bags and wrap in 2020, one Seattle recycling startup has seen a swell of new users. Since the announcement that curbside collection will no longer accept plastic bags and wrap in 2020, one Seattle recycling startup has seen a swell of new users. Photo: Sergei Malgavko/Sergei Malgavko/TASS Photo: Sergei Malgavko/Sergei Malgavko/TASS Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Recycling revolution: how one Seattle company is saving 170,000 pounds of waste from landfills 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

Seattle is known for its innovative startups and environmentally friendly practices, and a growing subscription service combines the two.

What started as a father-and-son recycling project between Ryan Metzger and his 8-year-old son, Owen, has now turned into Ridwell, a recycling collection service used by over 4,500 Seattleites and counting.

The company found its niche by collecting hard-to-dipose-of items that are not accepted in the city's curbside collection like lightbulbs, electronics, plastic wrap and single-use plastic bags, which the city stopped accepting as of Jan. 1. For $10-14 each month, customers are given a bin, reusable bags, and access to biweekly pickups of their items.

The items are then distributed to the appropriate source where they can take on a new life. For example, Styrofoam and plastic film are taken to a plant in Kent to make composite decking and new trash cans. Electronics are taken to 1 Green Planet in Renton for recycling or destruction.

"We found that there was a huge demand for making it easier to get rid of household items and recycle or reuse them in a positive way," said Metzger. "Our members were extremely enthusiastic to see their items being re-purposed instead of wasted."

The company emphasizes reusing items instead of throwing them away, which is why it works with community partners in a rotating category, collecting items like pet supplies, kitchenware, and eye glasses to benefit local nonprofits. Metzger says most of this collection comes from people de-cluttering or "Marie Kondo-ing" their homes, and not knowing where to properly dispose of the items.

In 2019 alone, the company saved an estimated 170,000 pounds of household waste from landfills.

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And with the announcement that Seattle Public Utilities would no longer accept plastic wrap and bags in 2020, Metzger says the service has seen its highest amount of subscribers and is looking to expand into new regions in Puget Sound.

"It was always sort of unclear what to do with plastic wrap, because some places would accept it, and others would not. It wasn’t until I visited a recycling facility myself that I saw the problems this film makes daily," said Metzger.

Click through the gallery above and keep scrolling for Metzger's tips for recycling right in Seattle.

1. Empty, clean, and dry is still the rule of thumb: Leftover bits of food can lead to mold and contaminate other recyclables, so if you're not going to clean your containers properly, best to put it in the trash.

2. Cut down on your wish-cycling, especially small items: We've all been there, iffy on whether or not the miscellaneous piece of plastic we are about to toss is ACTUALLY recyclable. It's called wish-cycling, and even the most environmentally conscious of Seattleites are probably guilty of it.

One common culprit is plastic items under 3 inches, like bottle caps, which are too small to be recycled. While well intentioned, putting these items in your bins can jam up machinery at recycling plants.

"The reality is if you're putting a material that cannot be recycled in your bin, you are causing more harm to the process than good," said Metzger.

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3. Take advantage of local reusing programs: Instead of wish-cycling, look into programs that will reuse items you wish to dispose of. Donate damaged clothes to Threadcycle, bring mattresses and other furniture to the Northwest Furniture Bank, and bring electronics to Interconnection.

"The first goal is always to reuse the product since it is more practical and uses less resources, and recycle second,” said Metzger.

4. Bundle and save your plastic wraps: While plastic wraps are cumbersome to SPU's equipment, they are still recyclable when brought to the right source. Ridwell will do it for you, or you can find a drop off location near you here.

5. Find sustainable alternatives to purchases: Metzger suggests to take stock of everything that ends up in your trash before you take it out, and brainstorm other options that would not lead to waste. This could mean buying in certain items in bulk, reusing packaging, or opting for packaging made from post-consumer waste.

“Look to where the things you are disposing of are coming from, because this will help you find more sustainable alternatives to using them in the future," advised Metzger.