Recycling pickup returns to Clarksville with gig company Recyclops

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Recyclops, a gig-based company, recently started offering recycling pickup services in Clarksville, hiring local drivers in a model similar to Doordash or Uber.

The company made their first pickups last week and, according to VP of Sales Dennis Wise, Clarksville has had over 100 residents sign up so far.

What is Recyclops?

Founded in 2013, the Utah-based Recyclops offers a subscription-based pickup service, with prices ranging from $12-$30 per month. They operate in 18 states.

“First and foremost, we’re an environmental firm,” Wise said. “Folks should really understand the importance of recycling. What we’re trying to do is literally slow down some of the negative effects due to a number of issues in our environment.”

Wise said the gig economy model is vital to Recyclops’ operations.

“It’s the underpinning allowing us to do what we do. Most of 2021 for us was going around the country to municipalities that had to cancel their programs because it became too costly. … Most of these places can’t afford it,” Wise said. “Operationally, what we took from Uber is not having to have the capital outlay for the $400,000 trucks or the overhead of full-time employees.”

He said the pandemic inspired many drivers to seek more independent work.

“At first, it was a gradual flow into this kind of lifestyle for a lot of people. And with the pandemic, it opened the floodgates, and people were looking for things to do that did not involve going to an office space – things they could do on their own schedule.”

According to Wise, Clarksville had three drivers as of Nov. 10. Recyclops would like to hire at least six more.

Clarksville partnerships

Wise said the company has had its eye on Clarksville for some time, in part due to the city’s lack of options for recyclers. He said recycling can save a huge amount of money and reduce Clarksville’s carbon footprint at the same time.

“It’s about four times more energy-efficient to make products out of recycled goods than it is out of raw material. The one that will blow your mind is aluminum cans. It takes 95% more energy to make an aluminum can out of raw material than it does to make one out of something we recycle. Think about the carbon footprint. Think about all of that, that’s mind-blowing,” Wise said.

For more, go to the Recyclops website.