How Ridwell recycling works in Minnesota
Last updated 2026-06-09 · ~8 min read
Curbside single-stream recycling in Minnesota accepts paper, cardboard, metal cans, glass bottles, and rigid plastics #1, #2, and #5. Everything else — plastic film, Styrofoam, batteries, lightbulbs, worn textiles, chip bags, multilayer pouches — is either trash or a separate trip to a household-hazardous-waste (HHW) facility, a retailer take-back bin, or a specialty recycler. Ridwell exists to consolidate those trips into a single doorstep pickup.
The model is straightforward. You subscribe, Ridwell drops off a reusable bin labeled with category bags, you fill the right bag with the right category, and a driver picks them up every two weeks. Each pickup gets routed to a vetted downstream partner — TerraCycle for multilayer plastics, Call2Recycle for batteries, certified textile recyclers for fabric, regional Styrofoam densifiers for foam.
What Ridwell takes every pickup
The base subscription covers six standing categories:
- Batteries: alkaline (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V), lithium-ion from phones and laptops, button cells. See battery disposal for what each chemistry needs.
- Lightbulbs: CFL, fluorescent tubes, LED, halogen, incandescent. Routed to certified mercury recyclers for fluorescents.
- Plastic film: grocery bags, bread bags, dry-cleaning film, bubble wrap, air pillows, produce bags. Not accepted curbside.
- Multilayer plastic: chip bags, snack wrappers, candy wrappers, juice pouches, energy-bar wrappers, pet-food bags. Routed to TerraCycle.
- Threads (textiles): clothes, shoes, towels, bedsheets, socks, single shoes — any textile in any condition. See textile recycling.
- Styrofoam (Plus tier): clean white EPS foam blocks and packaging. Routed to a regional densifier. See Styrofoam recycling.
Subscription tiers
Essentials (~$14/month)
Covers batteries, lightbulbs, plastic film, multilayer plastic, and threads. Bi-weekly pickup. Best if you do not generate Styrofoam regularly. The lightbulb + battery + textile categories alone replace several trips per year to Hennepin County or Ramsey County HHW.
Plus (~$21/month)
Everything in Essentials plus Styrofoam pickup and early access to rotating featured categories. Worth the upgrade if you buy a lot of online consumer electronics (Styrofoam packaging) or appliances. The Twin Cities does not have many free Styrofoam drop-offs, so the convenience case is real.
Rotating featured categories
Every pickup includes one rotating add-on (extra small fee). Past Twin Cities rotations have included shoes, eyeglasses, electronics, household paint, school supplies, and seasonal greeting cards. The Ridwell mobile app shows what is featured next.
Not sure Ridwell covers your ZIP?
Type your ZIP at ClearPath and we will show whether Ridwell serves your address — and either way, the closest free alternatives for batteries, Styrofoam, textiles, and lightbulbs.
Check by ZIP →Coverage area in Minnesota
Ridwell launched in the Twin Cities in 2024 and has expanded steadily. Current coverage:
- Hennepin County: Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Edina, Bloomington, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, and most adjacent suburbs.
- Ramsey County: St. Paul, Roseville, Maplewood, Shoreview, and most adjacent suburbs.
- Anoka County: portions, including Blaine and Coon Rapids in recent expansion zones.
- Dakota County: portions, including Eagan, Apple Valley, and Burnsville in recent expansion zones.
Outstate Minnesota (Duluth, Rochester, St. Cloud, Mankato) is not yet on the map. Coverage shifts month to month; Ridwell's signup page is the source of truth. Enter your ZIP there or at /check and we will tell you.
Cost-benefit: Ridwell vs. driving to HHW
A Twin Cities resident who would otherwise drive twice a year to Hennepin County's Bassett Creek or Brooklyn Park HHW facility spends roughly:
- Time: 1.5–2 hours round trip per visit (depending on traffic and queue).
- Fuel: ~20–30 miles per visit.
- Cognitive load: tracking accepted items, hours, ID requirements, quantity caps.
Ridwell at ~$14/month replaces those trips for the standard household HHW long tail (batteries, bulbs, textiles, film, multilayer plastic). It does not replace HHW for paint, motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides, or other liquid HHW — for those, you still need the county HHW program. The honest framing: Ridwell is convenience for the long tail, not a full HHW replacement.
What Ridwell does NOT take
- Liquid HHW: paint, motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides, solvents. County HHW only.
- Large appliances: refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, microwaves. Bulky pickup or retailer take-back.
- Electronics: TVs, computers, monitors. Best Buy, Staples, or county HHW.
- Construction debris: drywall, lumber, insulation, ceramic tile, concrete.
- Glass: all glass (broken or whole) stays curbside or trash.
- Sharps + medical waste: see sharps disposal.
- Hazardous chemicals: pool chemicals, ammonia, bleach, fertilizer concentrate. County HHW.
- Yard waste: curbside organics or municipal yard-waste site.
How to sign up
- Enter your ZIP at ridwell.com. The site checks coverage instantly. If your ZIP is out of area, you can join a waitlist.
- Pick a tier. Essentials covers the standard six categories. Plus adds Styrofoam.
- Confirm pickup day. Ridwell assigns a recurring bi-weekly day based on your route. They drop off the labeled reusable bin on day one.
- Fill the bags between pickups. Each category has its own labeled bag inside the bin. Mix-ups slow processing; keep them sorted.
- Set the bin out the night before. Driver swaps your bags for fresh empty bags on the scheduled morning. No interaction needed.
Alternatives if Ridwell does not serve your ZIP
- Batteries: Call2Recycle drop-off at Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, Staples. See battery disposal.
- Lightbulbs: Home Depot accepts CFLs free; tubes go to county HHW.
- Plastic film: grocery-store film bins (Cub, Target, most retailers run them under the WRAP recycling program).
- Multilayer plastic: TerraCycle Zero Waste Box (mail-in, paid) — no free curbside option.
- Textiles: H&M in-store bin, Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Minnesota textile recycling guide.
- Styrofoam: regional drop-offs are limited — see Minnesota Styrofoam recycling guide.
- Black plastic: mostly trash. See black plastic recycling.
Frequently asked
How much does Ridwell cost in Minnesota?
The Essentials tier runs about $14 per month and Plus runs about $21 per month. Pricing has held in that band since the 2024 Twin Cities launch but can shift — the live number on ridwell.com is authoritative. Add-on featured categories are a small extra fee per pickup.
What ZIP codes does Ridwell cover in Minnesota?
Most of Hennepin and Ramsey, plus expansion zones in Anoka (Blaine, Coon Rapids) and Dakota (Eagan, Apple Valley, Burnsville). Outstate Minnesota (Duluth, Rochester, St. Cloud, Mankato) is not on the map yet. Type your ZIP at ridwell.com or at ClearPath /check to confirm.
Does Ridwell replace my county HHW trip?
Partially. Ridwell covers the long tail (batteries, bulbs, textiles, plastic film, multilayer plastic, optional Styrofoam). It does NOT cover liquid HHW — paint, motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides, solvents — or large appliances and electronics. For liquid HHW, you still need the county HHW program. For most households the realistic outcome is one Ridwell subscription plus one or two HHW trips per year for the liquids.
What happens to the stuff Ridwell picks up?
Each category is routed to a vetted downstream partner. Batteries go to Call2Recycle. Multilayer plastics go to TerraCycle. Textiles go to certified recyclers (resale, downcycling, shoddy fiber). Styrofoam goes to a regional densifier. Lightbulbs go to certified mercury recyclers for fluorescents and standard streams for LED/incandescent. Ridwell publishes downstream partners on their site.
Can I pause my Ridwell subscription?
Yes. Subscriptions are month-to-month and can be paused or canceled from the Ridwell app without penalty. Many residents pause for the summer when curbside generation is lower and pickup is less needed.
Does Ridwell accept Christmas lights or holiday packaging?
Christmas lights are a common featured rotating category around the December/January window. Holiday packaging (foam, plastic film, bubble wrap) falls under the standing categories all year. Check the in-app calendar for current featured items.
Is Ridwell better than curbside recycling?
It is complementary, not a replacement. Curbside still handles paper, cardboard, metal cans, glass, and rigid plastics #1/#2/#5 — the high-volume mainstream stream. Ridwell handles the items curbside MRFs reject. Most Twin Cities households use both.
Can I share a Ridwell subscription with my neighbor?
Ridwell assigns a single street address per account, so the bin is dropped at one address. Two neighbors can share by pooling their materials at the subscribed address — this is common and explicitly allowed. Keep within reasonable bag volume so the driver can handle the pickup quickly.