What we take
Styrofoam
Styrofoam* is inexpensive and keeps certain things safe or cool in transport, so it often shows up unannounced in packages. Unfortunately, it usually can’t go in curbside recycling, and can take centuries to decompose in a landfill.
With Ridwell, you can get your Styrofoam picked up right from your door! You save time (and get to finally clear out the Styrofoam stash in your closet!), and your Styrofoam gets a second life.
*When we say Styrofoam, we are referring to items in the polystyrene foam family, not Styrofoam-brand products. Styrofoam™ Brand Foam is a registered trademark of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (“DuPont”). For more information, click here.
What we do with it
Most curbside recycling services don’t offer Styrofoam recycling, or only take very limited types. This means that you get stuck saving up your Styrofoam and then trying to find somewhere to recycle it.
Ridwell makes recycling your Styrofoam (also known as expanded polystyrene or EPS) easy. Instead of spending hours of your weekend driving around looking for a recycling center, just add it to your Ridwell pickup. We’ll come get it right from your door, and take it to our partners - who recycle it into things like picture frames and roofing insulation!
About our partners
How we keep your Styrofoam out of landfills.
We partner directly with innovators who transform hard-to-recycle materials into new products—so you can see exactly where your items go and what they become.
Featured Partner
Styro Recycle
Styro Recycle llc is dedicated to helping the community and businesses with options for removing EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) from the waste stream. When finding that there are many misconceptions about EPS, and how much the community disliked this material, they discovered companies who had the technology for recycling it. Then a crusade was developed to find inexpensive ways for the public as well as businesses to have alternative ways to divert this foam from our landfills.
Styro Recycle llc and Pick-up Service Company recognizes this unmet need for our community and businesses and offers an affordable and convenient way to save the environment, while also saving businesses and post-consumers money. They campaign throughout the South King and North Pierce Counties in efforts to provide a low cost pick-up service for businesses, and have also created a free drop-off center for the public and businesses.
Featured Partner
National Recycling Corporation
National Recycling Corporation (NRC) was established in 1985, by the founder, Richard Wang. NRC believes that simply recycling is not enough and that all humans must be conscious of the environment as a whole. NRC is a certified recycling center (RC 3530) and processor (PRO 313) in California. They work closely with all federal, state, and local authorities to meet and surpass the environmental regulatory guidelines for the recycling industry. Material provided to NRC by Ridwell members is densified into heavier ingots and sold to downstream markets that will make a variety of new items, like picture frames and crown molding.
Featured Partner
Eco-Cycle
In 1976, Eco-Cycle was founded by local Boulder visionaries who helped start the recycling revolution, making Boulder one of the first cities in the nation to offer curbside recycling. Over the decades, Eco-Cycles’ work has helped and continues to advance Colorado’s Zero Waste goals. Eco-Cycle is one of the oldest mission-based recyclers and Zero Waste organizations in the US, and an innovator in resource conservation. Eco-Cycle’s mission is to innovate, implement, and advocate for local and global Zero Waste solutions to foster a more regenerative, equitable, and climate-resilient future. Material from Ridwell members will be densified into heavier ingots and sold to downstream markets that will make a variety of new items, like picture frames and crown molding.
Featured Partner
Foam Zone
Foam Zone has been servicing the Los Angeles metropolitan area since 1995. Styrofoam or expanded polystyrene foam collected by Ridwell is taken to Foam Zone in Ontario, CA to undergo a densification process where it is made into a commodity that will then be pelletized and used as post consumer resin for new products like picture frames, crown molding and more.
Featured Partner
Coon Rapids Recycling Center
Coon Rapids Recycling is a drop off center located in Anoka County with its main focus on hard to manage materials. As a zero waste facility, Coon Rapids Recycling collects and processes these materials while working with unique end markets to ensure everything accepted is recycled. With a diversified system, Coon Rapids Recycling provides unique, convenient recycling methods and the industry’s best customer service. Staff are trained to educate along the way. This has shown that those using the facility have a deeper knowledge that they can carry forward. Styrofoam sent to Coon Rapids Recycling is processed and is ultimately turned into picture frames which are purchased and sold within its own community.
Featured Partner
PostalAnnex+
PostalAnnex+ is a local business service center, offering many needed services under one roof. Packing peanuts will be sent for reuse at the Burbank, California location.
Featured Partner
Blue Goblin LLC
Blue Goblin offers innovative, environmentally-sound solutions for recycling and disposal of EPS/foam products that are not currently recycled. Since its inception, Blue Goblin has been committed to developing innovative, customized recycling programs that expand the range of materials that can be recycled or reused while providing economic value and excellent service for their customers. Material provided from Ridwell members will be properly recycled through a densification process that will ultimately be made into new products using recycled resin.
Featured Partner
PostNet
The PostNet center is locally owned and operated, and known for providing exceptional customer service in the Atlanta community. Packaging peanuts provided by Ridwell members will be put to great reuse by PostNet’s amazing team in outgoing packages!
Featured Partner
The Packaging Store in Oakland
The Packaging Store in Oakland has been serving the Bay area for over 30 years. When it comes to packing and shipping, they’ve got our community covered. At the Packaging Store in Oakland, they know just how priceless some shipments are. That is why they take their time carefully packing each and every item that comes through their doors. Packing peanuts provided by Ridwell members will help in their packing efforts to keep your shipments safe.
