Want to throw less stuff away? This company can help.

Woman placing recyclable bags in a Ridwell bin on the front porch

Doing what’s good for the environment isn’t always easy — but, thanks to Ridwell, doing our part is. | Photo provided by Ridwell

If you’re like us and want to live less cluttered (and more green) in 2023, you’re probably emptying junk drawers and cleaning out closets — and wondering what to do with your unwanted items. Before heading to the trash can with old t-shirts or burnt-out holiday lights, take the sustainable approach: reuse or recycle what you’re tossing with Ridwell.

Seattle-grown company Ridwell specializes in keeping materials out of landfills by picking up hard-to-recycle items in neighborhoods throughout Seattle. Read: They come to you, so doing the sustainable thing is easy.

Ridwell started as a father-son project when CEO, Ryan Metzger, and his son, Owen tried to find a way to recycle their batteries in Seattle. After realizing how complicated it was, they made it a weekend project to pick up their neighbors’ batteries along with other hard-to-recycle items. This small project became a recycling carpool that was so popular, it spread across the country.

And the good work is paying off: Since launching in 2018, Ridwell has kept 10+ million pounds of materials out of landfills.

How it works:

Throughout the week, sort items by core categories, like light bulbs, clothes, and plastic wrap, and put them into the nifty cloth bags Ridwell provides. Once a bag is full, drop it in the Ridwell bin by your front door.
Every two weeks, Ridwell picks whatever you’ve set out and gets your stuff to partners that can reuse or recycle it.
In addition to the core categories, Ridwell also picks up a rotating featured category to help members declutter and reduce waste in new ways. Past featured categories have included prescription pill bottles, corks, holiday lights, books, multi-layer plastic food packaging, and more.
Ridwell also offers add-on pickups like Styrofoam and plastic clamshell containers in many areas.
Bulky items that don’t fit in the bin can also be picked up for an additional fee.
Bonus: It’s affordable. The service is $16 per month for three months, $14 per month for six months, and $12 per month for 12 months.

It’s that simple.

Fun fact: Ridwell offers one-of-a-kind transparency to show members where their stuff actually goes. For example, plastic film gets sent to Trex, an innovative company that turns plastic into high-performance decking for homes.

See what Ridwell picks up in your neighborhood.*

GET RECYCLING

This content was created in partnership with Ridwell and written by Rachel Taylor-Northam.*

QUIZ

Fact or Fiction: The recycling number on plastic means it’s recyclable.

A. Fact
B. Fiction

See the answer in the Wrap.

TAKE A GUESS

EVENTS

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Monday, Jan. 23

Concerto Competition: Piano and Keyboard | Monday, Jan. 23 | 5:30 p.m. | The University of Washington’s School of Music Building, Skagit Ln + E. Stevens Way NE, Seattle | Free | UW students tickle those ivories for a chance to perform with the school’s symphony.

Tuesday, Jan. 24

Lunar New Year Celebration at Westlake Park and Occidental Square | Tuesday, Jan. 24 | 12 p.m. | Westlake Park, 401 Pine St., Seattle | Free | Watch a traditional lion dance and bask in some community cheer.
“Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” | Tuesday, Jan. 24-Sunday, Feb. 5 | Times vary | Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle | $35-$125 | The touring edition of this Broadway hit is sure to get your feet moving and head bopping.

Wednesday, Jan. 25

PacSci Happy Hour | Wednesday, Jan. 25 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N., Seattle | $20 | Grab a cocktail and small bites as you enjoy shows at PacSci’s biggest attractions.
Early Eyes: “Look Alive! Tour” | Wednesday, Jan. 25 | 8:30 p.m. | Madame Lou’s, 2505 First Ave., Seattle | $16 | The Minneapolis-based indie pop band has a new batch of songs that are as catchy as they are angsty.

Thursday, Jan. 26

Tom Douglas Dinner Benefiting Coastal Cutthroat Coalition | Thursday, Jan. 26 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Hot Stove Society, 2000 Fourth Ave., Seattle | $165 | The tapas dinner includes a cooking demo from Tom himself and an optional after-party at a private cigar club.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

BEST WEEK EVER

FINANCE

7 secrets to know about hiring a financial advisor 👀

A friendly-looking older man wearing a green cotton shirt smiles into the camera.

SmartAsset is a hassle-free way to find vetted financial advisers in your area. | Photo by SmartAsset

Life should be a balance of adventure and relaxation — not finances. Enter: Working with a financial advisor. But choosing the wrong one could potentially wreak havoc on your retirement and investments.

Check out these seven secrets comfortable retirees know about hiring one, so you can get back to the balance that matters most.

Pro tip: For simplicity, try this free tool to get matched with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area.*

GET YOUR FREE MATCHES

NEWS NOTES

Weather

45º | Mostly cloudy | 8% chance of rain
Watch out for king tides. Forecasts call for the highest tides of the year to arrive now through Wednesday, Jan. 25. Dry weather should prevent severe flooding, but Seattle Public Utilities is working with low-lying areas like South Park to prepare, just in case. (Seattle Times)

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:46 a.m.
Set: 4:56 p.m.

Biz

Anybody looking for office space? After more than a decade, Amazon is ditching the West 8th tower in Denny Triangle when its lease is up in April. The company — which had been leasing ~70% of the 539,000-sqft building — said the move is related to increasing remote work. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Coming Soon

Get ready to load up on some coveted carbs again. The massively popular bakery Mt. Bagel has found new headquarters in Seattle eight months after leaving the city for Bend, Oregon. Mt. Bagel’s owner didn’t reveal a re-opening date yet. 🥯

Closing

Cue the end credits — downtown movie megaplex Regal Meridian will close in February, part of the national chain’s cutbacks in the wake of a bankruptcy filing. The Regal was known for incredibly cozy reclining chairs and a wide assortment of concessions — including booze. 📽️ (KING 5)

Sports

Seattle Sounders FC scored a major new sponsor in Providence Swedish. The partnership includes a collaborative youth mental health program with the Renton School District. Providence Swedish will also provide health care services to the MLS soccer squad — and fresh jerseys. ⚽
The Seattle Kraken lost to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday in an overtime shootout. But the team is only one point away from first place in the league’s Pacific Division. The Kraken have also already matched their win total from last year with 36 games left to go. 🏒

Ranked

Time to plan a staycation. Seattle was ranked among the top 25 tourist destinations in the US on TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice list. The website mentioned the Central Library and Pike Place Market among the notable spots to check out. 💚 (TripAdvisor)

Asked

OK, campers, rise and shine. Groundhog Day is right around the corner, and it’s got us thinking about what day in Seattle history we’d like to do over and over. Let us know yours and you may appear in a future newsletter.

Travel

Scott’s Cheap Flights is going, going... Going. The travel membership that saves you hundreds on flights has a new name, and in honor of the rebrand, you can get 30% off a Premium membership with code 6AMCITY30. What you’ll get: last minute weekend trips, mistake fares, and early deal alerts. Hurry — this offer ends tomorrow, Jan. 24. ✈️*

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HOME

Crashing the potty 🚽

An illustration of a woman shutting a toilet seat closed

It appears this woman is grimacing, not smiling. We can’t blame her. | Illustration via Public Health Insider

Gahhhh, this is going to haunt our dreams (and bathroom breaks).

King County’s Public Health Insider blog recently published a cartoon about what to do in case you find a rat in your toilet. It includes advice like “try to stay calm” (fat chance) and “close the toilet” (sure thing).

Apparently, toilet rats are a thing around these parts, particularly during periods of heavy rain when currents from overflowing sewer systems may drop those critters in odd places. Lucky us.

We appreciate Public Health’s guidance via fun illustrations. But we wanted to add some other practical steps to take in case you come across rodents infiltrating your porcelain throne. 🐭

Leave and barricade the door.
Pack your bags — this is the rat’s house now.
Go on Zillow or Redfin and search for homes that include amenities like “toilets that don’t connect to city sewer line.”
Never watch “Ratatouille” in the same light again.

THE WRAP

Answered: Fiction. The recycling number found on a piece of plastic indicates what type of plastic it’s made out of, *not* if it’s curbside recyclable where you live. Learn more.

Today’s issue was written by Gabe.

Editor’s pick: I’ve recently been woken up late at night to the sound of scurrying around my garage. That’s why the realization that rats can come up through toilets has shaken me to my core.

I guess that’s what I get for living in Rat City (White Center). Just to be safe, I may have to use the fancy, sky-high bathroom in the Columbia Tower — there’s no way the lil’ buggers can get me there, right?

Missed Friday’s newsletter? Learn all about the Great Seattle Fire of 1889.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Alina Hunter-Grah, Gabe Guarente, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Rachel Sklenar | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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