Meet Elizabeth Langer, a San Jose mom working in education and as a part-time consultant for a sustainable cleaning product company, who advocates for the three R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle) — particularly with plastic. As we step into 2024, we asked Elizabeth to share her go-to sustainability tips with the South Bay community, in hopes of paving the path for a greener year.
Elizabeth has always been mindful of minimizing plastic in her daily life, choosing eco-friendly options like repurposing plastic containers for cleaning products, and keeping reusable utensils, straws + containers on hand. She faced a challenge when her son returned from college, resulting in a pile of air pillows and bubble mailers accumulating in the garage, prompting Elizabeth to seek a solution.
That’s when Elizabeth heard about Ridwell from her cousin in Washington. Ridwell, a Seattle-based recycling start-up, started as a father-son project with CEO, Ryan Metzger, and his son, Owen, trying to recycle their batteries in Seattle. And after receiving so much interest from the South Bay community , Ridwell came to San Jose in September 2023.
Ridwell has become an essential part of Elizabeth’s family routine , providing doorstep pickup for items like plastic film and multi-layer plastics (chip bags, snack wrappers) that are not recycled by regular curbside programs.
After Ridwell picks up your plastic film, 98.2% of it gets diverted from landfills.
Photo provided by Ridwell
Beyond plastics, Ridwell collects batteries, light bulbs, clothes, and more. They partner with 200+ local and regional businesses to ensure responsible reuse or recycling of these items. One way Ridwell keeps plastic out of landfills is through its partnership with Hydroblox — a company that repurposes multi-layer plastic into construction materials.
With Ridwell, Elizabeth knows her small actions are making a difference and encourages the community to embrace this solution to send less waste to landfills.
For an effortless way to be more sustainable in 2024, become a Ridwell member. San Joseans can subscribe for as little as $14 a month, significantly reducing household waste. Pro tip: Join Ridwell this January and get your first month free .
Start your sustainable journey .
Poll
Which items would you like Ridwell to recycle for you? We’re curious .