Expanding Recycling Access with Recyclops

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Recycling is a powerful tool in the fight against waste and climate change. Yet, millions of homes and businesses lack access to basic recycling services. In our latest Going Zero episode, we sat down with Ryan Smith, founder and CEO of Recyclops, to discuss how his company is revolutionizing waste diversion using gig economy drivers and scalable solutions to bring recycling to communities that need it most.

🏡 Filling the Recycling Gaps

Across the U.S., 34 million homes lack access to basic curbside recycling, and an additional 16 million apartments face the same challenge. Recyclops is solving this problem by providing an on-demand, tech-driven approach to waste diversion, expanding recycling access to underserved communities.

🚛 A Different Approach to Waste Collection

Instead of relying on costly heavy-duty trucks and city-run infrastructure, Recyclops utilizes gig economy drivers—think Uber or DoorDash for recycling. This allows them to operate in areas where traditional waste haulers cannot, keeping costs low and expanding service to rural and suburban areas that would otherwise go without.

🌍 Impact at Scale

Every month, Recyclops diverts over 1 million pounds of waste from landfills. Their innovative model not only provides households with much-needed recycling options but also supports businesses with custom waste diversion programs. Whether it's hard-to-recycle materials, composting, or even diaper composting (yes, you read that right!), Recyclops is proving that no waste stream is too complicated to tackle.

🏆 B Corp Certified & Scaling Up

In 2023, Recyclops became a B Corp certified company, further cementing its commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. The company has rapidly expanded from five states to 33 states in just over a year, proving that demand for better recycling solutions is stronger than ever.

🔎 How You Can Get Involved

Want to bring better recycling solutions to your home or business? You can sign up on Recyclops’ website to check if service is available in your area—or help build demand in new communities by joining their waiting list. The more people who sign up, the faster Recyclops can expand!

🎧 Listen Now

From rethinking waste infrastructure to using data-driven solutions for cleaner recycling streams, this conversation was packed with insights on how innovation is transforming the recycling industry.

🎙️ Listen to the full episode here.

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The Going Zero podcast of sponsored by Emerald Ecovations.