How Columbus area is keeping recyclables from regional landfill

When we think about the actions we can take locally to protect our environment and combat climate change, one of the most significant is to limit the growth of our landfill.

I can view the landfill each day from my office window at the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, and am pleased to report that annually our community continues to increase the amount of waste being diverted from the landfill through reuse, recycling and composting.

In fact, Franklin County diverts more than half of the waste we create each year from the landfill – far better than the national average of 34%.

But our goal isn’t to be better than the national average. We know that so much more of the material sent to the landfill had the potential to be reused, recycled or composted.

That’s good not only for our environment, but for our economy, as central Ohio is home to nearly 400 recycling-reliant businesses, and 80% of collected recyclables go to such businesses in Ohio.

To that end, I was very encouraged by the bold, new initiatives from the city of Columbus, as proposed in Mayor Andrew J. Ginther’s 2023 budget. I believe these initiatives can help our region meet our 75% diversion goal by 2032, and SWACO is excited to partner with the city of Columbus to ensure these initiatives are successful.

We rely on all of our central Ohio communities, each of which has its own policies and programs geared toward reducing waste and protecting our climate.

But as the largest municipality in the region, Columbus can have a significant impact on our success. And due to its size, waste diversion requires much more effort in the 14th largest city in the nation than in its more compact neighbors.

Because of the cost and logistics of collecting recyclables in such a large geographical boundary, Columbus has been on an every-other-week schedule since introducing curbside residential recycling more than a decade ago.

However, this summer, Columbus will expand to weekly curbside residential recycling service, which is projected to increase the amount of residential recyclable material the city collects by somewhere between 25% and 40%.

This expansion of curbside recycling, as impactful as it will be, is only one of several new programs Columbus is launching to increase diversion and support the goals of its Climate Action Plan.

● Two new Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers are planned for this coming summer at the Alum Creek and Georgesville Road Refuse Collection Transfer Stations. With help from staff for proper sorting, residents will be able to drop off garbage, bulk items, recyclables, food waste, yard waste, and other trash that is hard to manage.

● In addition to the Alum Creek and Georgesville Road sites, three yet-to-be-determined recreation centers will host a food waste drop-off pilot project in the spring.

● The Division of Refuse Collection will add six drivers to focus on trash collection where dumping, container overflow and litter is more prevalent and four employees dedicated to collecting public litter.

● Columbus will begin recycling collection at all city buildings and expand public recycling availability at select city recreation facilities.

All these initiatives will help central Ohio reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill and help to bring down our carbon emissions. Meanwhile, SWACO wants to help Columbus do even more.

Although 96% of Franklin County households have access to curbside recycling, SWACO recently commissioned a community survey that found that number plummets to less than half of those living in housing with five or more units.

This discrepancy prompted SWACO, Columbus and The Recycling Partnership to include approximately one dozen Columbus apartment complexes in a recycling pilot program. So far, more than 130 tons of material has been diverted from these residential complexes, and SWACO is expanding the program to include commercial properties outside of the city service area.

SWACO is committed to doing our part to serve our customers, protect the health of our environment, seize opportunities for new partnerships and innovation. In recent years, SWACO has placed greater emphasis on diverting materials away from the landfill, and while we’re proud of our progress we know we have more to do.

We are excited to work with all communities in our jurisdiction to reduce waste and extend the life of our regional landfill.

Joe Lombardi is executive director of Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio.