Ridwell, the Seattle startup that picks up hard-to-dispose-of household items for reuse or responsible recycling, has turned its attention to collecting supplies that are needed by those who are especially vulnerable during the COVID-19 crisis.
Coronavirus Live Updates: The latest COVID-19 developments in Seattle and the world of tech
Ridwell is currently working with Mary’s Place, the Pike Market Food Bank and Senior Center, and Seattle Humane Society, using its existing infrastructure to get hygiene items to vulnerable citizens and helping others avoid having to surrender pets due to economic instability.
Members usually leave items such as light bulbs, batteries, clothing, shoes and plastic bags in white bins at the front of a home for collection every two weeks.
During this special community donation effort, the first of which took place on Saturday and the second which will take place this coming Saturday, items can be left alongside Ridwell bins and will be picked up by the startup’s fleet of drivers and then distributed.
Hygiene supplies for Mary’s Place and Pike Market Food Bank:
- Hand sanitizer
- Disinfectant wipes
- Face masks
- Toilet paper rolls
- Boxes of tissues
- Cough drops
Pet supplies for the Seattle Humane Society:
- Unopened dry cat or dog food
- Unopened wet cat or dog food
- Cat or dog treats
PREVIOUSLY: Ridwell goes the extra green mile, recycling your old light bulbs, batteries, Styrofoam and more
“Ridwell exists to make it easy to waste less and part of that has always meant distributing things from Ridwell bins across our community to people who can use them,” co-founder and CEO Ryan Metzger said. “With so many more people facing challenges now and in the months ahead, we are increasing our focus there. We encourage partners we’ve worked with in the past, as well as new ones, to let us know what type of supplies they might need where our members can help.”
Ridwell, which launched in late 2017, currently has more than 5,000 members.
With more people at home, the company has seen an uptick in categories such as thin plastics and batteries, with those items accumulating for disposal at faster rates.
Learn more here.
Source: Geek Wire
