Why has service paused in unincorporated Washington and Clackamas Counties?
UDPATE: To find up-to-date information on the ongoing situation in unincorporated Washington County, please check this page.
We continue to be unable to provide service in unincorporated Clackamas County at this time.
We are sorry to share the news that - despite emails and phone calls from hundreds of area residents - Washington and Clackamas County officials have demanded that we cease providing service to members in unincorporated parts of each county.
We do not agree with Washington or Clackamas County’s interpretation of the local legal requirements, but in the face of threatened enforcement actions, we have suspended services in unincorporated Clackamas County as of December 15, 2021 and in unincorporated Washington County as of January 15, 2022.
If you are a current Ridwell member who resides in unincorporated Washington or unincorporated Clackamas County, your account has been placed on an indefinite pause while we work on aligning with local officials.
Please use this FAQ for guidance on what this change means for your Ridwell membership:
What is a subscription pause?
Placing your Ridwell subscription on pause allows you to retain your Ridwell membership, including your bin and bags, until we are able to resume service in your area – which we hope will be soon! This ensures that you will not be charged for anything, including subscription renewals, throughout the duration of the pause.
When will my last pickup be?
Your final pickup before your account pause will be prior to the enforcement deadlines listed above for each county. Please check your member dashboard at ridwell.com/dashboard for your specific pickup date.
Will I be automatically refunded? What will happen to my bin during my last pickup?
Since we’re putting all accounts on pause in hopes that we’re able to reinstate service sooner rather than later, accounts will not automatically be refunded and bins will not be collected unless specifically requested. If you’d like to receive a refund and have your bin collected, please reach out to us at help@ridwell.com to cancel your membership.
If you are able to resume service in these impacted areas, will my subscription be automatically reinstated if I cancelled?
If you cancel your Ridwell membership, your subscription will not be automatically reinstated once service restrictions have been lifted, and you will need to reach out to help@ridwell.com for assistance. The best way to ensure minimal disruption to your service is to remain on the account pause we’ve put in place for impacted members.
How can we help fight to keep Ridwell service?
We are confident that in the long run, widespread grassroots support for policies that help the environment will win out over today's pro-landfilling approach, as we saw with the Portland City Council’s unanimous vote in favor of new regulations protecting Ridwell’s ability to operate. Unfortunately, as covered in the Willamette Week, our efforts to make it easier for households to reduce waste have faced opposition, particularly from the garbage haulers - even though there is zero overlap between our services!
You can help by letting your local officials know why Ridwell is important to you, and that you want them to immediately find a solution that enables Ridwell’s services to resume as quickly as possible!
To contact Clackamas County legislators, please click here.
To contact Washington County legislators, please click here.