Welcome to SWACO
SWACO is The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio. We are one of the 52 solid waste districts created by the Ohio General Assembly in 1989. Each of those districts were established with the mission of reducing our reliance on landfills. Since our birth, SWACO has become a catalyst for recycling and reuse programs in Franklin County and within our district. We also continue to pioneer with leading edge programs that find new uses for our trash of the past, present and future.
Today SWACO operates the current 3,300-ton-per day Franklin County Landfill near I-71 and Rt. 665 in Southern Franklin County (purchased from Franklin County in 1991). We also own and operate three transfer stations around the county. Our service to the community also includes a large number of drop off recycling centers at supermarket, fire station and neighborhood center parking lots. SWACO's also offers our very popular Household Hazardous Waste collections that bring in 600,000 pounds annually.
Currently under construction is SWACO's Green Energy Center. This facility next to the current Franklin County landfill will pull methane gas from the landfill and turn it into Natural Gas and Biodiesel to fuel SWACO trucks as well as other school district and community fleets. In the southern Columbus, construction will soon begin on a factory that will manufacture building blocks that consist of recycled ground polystyrene and cement.
Our classroom instruction and tours of SWACO’s Franklin County Landfill continue to be a big hit with students of all ages. Over six-thousand students a year see and heard firsthand the results of our throwaway society. SWACO understands though that first hand lessons are not always possible. So we have hit the road, expanding the reach of our message to all walks of life.
SWACO partnerships in Central Ohio include exhibits at the world renown Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, COSI (The Center for Science and Industry), and The Martin Luther King Arts Complex. SWACO has also established a presence at Crew Stadium, Nationwide Arena, Cooper Stadium and at the Ohio Expositions Center (home to the Ohio State Fair). Wherever Central Ohioans work, eat or play, SWACO is there to promote recycling and the use of recycled content products.
When you visit the Columbus Zoo, you’ll find ‘My House” in the North American Exhibit. From its walls made of recycled polystyrene and cement to the roof made of old tires the house is a prime example of recycled content construction. Inside are suggestions on how we can better interact with our environment.
At COSI, a walk through the halls of learning leads to SWACO’s exhibit, ‘Trashformation.” A video board takes visitors on a landfill tour, while colorful kiosks show the life of a product from its consumer use back to raw product ready for a new creation.
A jewel on the east side of Columbus, The Martin Luther Kings Arts Complex has long been a strong partner of SWACO. In 2006, SWACO sponsored “Beyond the Bin” in conjunction with the Arts Complex. This student art exhibit displayed works created from landfill leftovers.
Central Ohio sports fans back recycling at many of the local arenas and stadiums. The SWACO message is delivered during games of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew, and the International Baseball League’s Columbus Clippers. SWACO recycling containers dot the concourses, while fans are encouraged to recycle via message boards and public address announcements.
Displaying how old landfills can see new use, the former Franklin County landfill just south of Columbus has been turned into the Phoenix Golf Links by SWACO. The 19-hole, Scottish Style Links course opened in 2000.
On the road, SWACO battles litter bugs. We employ a litter collection crew which helps keep Central Ohio highways clean. We also call upon citizens to become "litter marshals" and report littering to a toll free phone line or web site. Those who are reported hear from the sheriff's department. Along I-71 in southern Franklin County, SWACO in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Transportation, has established a "target enforcement area." As motorists drive through the area they are instructed to tune their vehicle radios to 1630AM. Our low-power station, WPYF-783, broadcasts anti littering messages to those who pass by.
Our Smart Communities program works with towns and villages in SWACO neighborhoods that do recycle but need a little help to keep residents on board. Here SWACO provides assistance with marketing, contracts, and other needs to keep recycling in the forefront.
There is much more about today's SWACO that we would be glad to share with you. Please contact us at 614-871-5100 for more information.