26. Innovative Business Thinking for Community-based Earthcare: Ryan Metzger of Ridwell

Earthkeepers: A Circlewood Podcast on Creation Care and Spirituality

In this episode I’ll be chatting with Ryan Metzger, the CEO of Ridwell, a groundbreaking organization that is pioneering a different approach to recycling and repurposing. Ryan and his young son Owen cofounded this growing company that now helps people by picking up materials and items that recycling companies normally won’t take. They saw a problem, and took risks to try new ways to solve it with an innovative business model. Today, they are on a mission to empower “neighbors and communities to build a less wasteful future.”
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Guest: Ryan Metzger - CEO and founder of Ridwell

Notes:

• Buy Nothing Project
• NY reusable take out containers - DeliverZero
• Social entrepreneurship: https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/focus/social-entrepreneurship

Actions:

• Asking questions when it comes to disposing of items- is there another option?
• Talking to kids and sharing at their level about climate change, the effects waste disposal has on our world.

Ideas for actions we can take in community:

• find a Library of things
• create a tool library
• learn about the sharing economy
• start a community garden
• consider starting a housing coop
• create a community compost
• find a Makerspace to learn in

Keywords: recycling, repurposing, reusing, grassroots environmentalism, community-based business, social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, business for good

Find us on our website: Earthkeepers
Support the Earthkeepers podcast
Check out the Ecological Disciple