Skip to main content
Last week, WW explored how a Seattle-based startup called Ridwell incurred the wrath of Portland trash haulers by placing small white boxes on porches across Portland (“Who’s Afraid of a Ridwell Box?” Dec. 1, 2021). For $12 to $16 a month, Ridwell collects hard-to-recycle junk like light bulbs and plastic wrap, and pledges to send the products to companies that can reuse or recycle them. Haulers, who until now have enjoyed a monopoly on trash, complain that Ridwell is an unregulated interloper that only provides its service to the few who can afford the extra fee. Here’s what our readers had to say.
Triari, via wweek.com: “Ridwell is more of a mental health service than trash hauler. For a mere $14 a month you can feel guilt-free about your conspicuous consumption.”
Mr Logic, via wweek.com: “If people are willing to pay for the service, let Ridwell provide the service. Sounds like America to me.”
greazysteak, via Reddit: “I love the idea of this, but I don’t go through enough things to pay the $14 (on top of the $65 or whatever two months of garbage is) and I am cheap. I do have a collection of light bulbs I need to drop off and I have a giant box that is full of Styrofoam that I am going to drop off at that place in Tigard if they still are taking Styrofoam. “I wish we had few central spots we could drop off these things.”
Since 1629, via wweek.com: “Those boxes look like replicas of Alpenrose milk boxes. I don’t understand how anyone could possibly regulate who you give your garbage to. What’s the difference between this and letting people cruise neighborhoods rooting through recycle bins? This will be interesting to watch.”
Michael G. Shaw, via Facebook: “Again, the city and county engage in performative gestures while the citizens struggle with real broken infrastructure. “Now the vulture capitalists are circling the rotting corpse of our recycling infrastructure. The haulers are pantomiming, ‘Oh no, they’re going to eat us.’ Yep. That is exactly what they’ll do if allowed. “Failure to govern and invest in infrastructure is an incentive to private monopolists.”
Dustin Ddraig, via wweek.com: “The one thing I don’t understand is who is throwing out so many batteries and clamshell packages that makes $14 a month a worthwhile expense? Just save them up and every six months or so make a trip out to Airport Way and drop it off. Sure, you might spend an extra $5 in gas, but you’d save $84 in monthly fees.”
Benjamin Emerson, via Facebook: “No opinion on Ridwell itself, but it was kinda creepy how the boxes all appeared at once. Like how alien invaders took the form of bowling balls in [Clifford] Simak’s They Walked Like Men.”
LETTERS to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: PO Box 10770, Portland, OR 97296. Email: mzusman@wweek.com.
