ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Like in any city, Atlanta residents have government-provided recycling bins. But those bins can’t process a number of common household items, like batteries, lightbulbs or plastic film.
Enter Ridwell, which operates in eight different cities — including Atlanta, as of 2023. The company provides labeled canvas bags for hard-to-recycle items that are then picked up bi-weekly and shipped off to be transformed into decking, arts and crafts materials and more.
Jackie Dorage, operations manager at the Ridwell in West Midtown, said the company has rescued 19 million pounds of materials since it began in 2018. Atlanta is its first East Coast location.
“The environmental impact is so important,” Dorage said. “Atlanta is a city in a forest, so we want to do whatever we can to make that sustainable for the next generation.”
Ridwell also collaborates with several nonprofits, collecting items like nonperishable food, clothes and more. One recent partner was Friends of Disabled Adults and Children, which helps people with injuries or disabilities access medical equipment.
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Chris Brand, the organization’s president, said donations from Ridwell went toward the nonprofit’s thrift store.
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