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Leveraging the Waste Stream
Current Partnerships & Projects Underway
Columbus Solar Park - Former Landfill Turned Solar Facility
Thanks to a public-private partnership between SWACO and BQ Energy Development, LLC, a former closed landfill site will be re-envisioned into a renewable solar facility, generating enough green energy to power more than 5,000 homes a year.
The approximately 173-acre property located between Jackson Pike and I-71 in Grove City, Ohio will be leased to BQ Energy with the intent to develop, build and operate a solar energy facility.
This project is not only beneficial to the environment and community, but will also diversify SWACO’s revenue stream, which has been predominantly made up of landfill tipping fees. This project also supports and is in line with SWACO’s goal to reduce carbon emissions by 64%.
This project also enables SWACO to keep disposal costs low at the landfill and to encourage even more diversion of materials from the landfill.
We are excited about this new solar field because it will not only generate revenue and make the site self-sustaining, it will also reflect Central Ohio’s innovative culture, commitment to environmental sustainability and serve as an educational tool on the benefits of renewable energy.
Learn more about this exciting new project.
Rev1 Ventures Partnership
Last fall, SWACO and Rev1 Ventures announced a partnership focused on advancing new technologies in food waste and waste management while connecting entrepreneurs with financial and strategic resources to promote new approaches that propel innovative waste stream startups in Central Ohio.
As a result, last year, SWACO and Rev1 worked to connect municipalities, food manufacturers, commercial retailers and kitchens in the Central Ohio region with entrepreneurs focused on food waste prevention, rescue, and recycling. Together, these partners are working on testing technologies and sharing advice and learnings with SWACO and Rev1, which could be applied to food businesses across the Region and could cut food waste in half over the next 9 to 10 years.
Efforts this year will also focus on supporting local entrepreneurs working in the food waste diversion space that will be invited to participate in a late spring/early summer Learning Lab which may result in the award of financial support for food waste and other waste stream diversion start-ups.
While the food waste initiative focuses on the first phase of the partnership, SWACO and Rev1 are already collaborating on opportunities to evolve the partnership into a broader approach that supports startups innovating in the entire waste and recycling industry. Together, these efforts will advance SWACO’s goal to cut food waste, strengthen our regional circular economy and increase the diversion of all materials away from the landfill by an additional 25% by 2032.
“SWACO is at the forefront of sustainability, and food waste is a critical sector to tackle. We understand the value entrepreneurs will bring to their mission,” said Tom Walker, CEO of Rev1 Ventures. “As with all of our innovation partners, SWACO shares our commitment to supporting innovation by helping startups through access to expert advisors, insights into market needs and the ability to pilot technologies within real-world environments.”
Gas-to-Energy Facility
This innovative public-private partnership turns landfill gas into renewable energy for homes. As the bacteria within a landfill consume organic materials like food, paper and wood, gases are produced.
To ensure this gas doesn’t escape into the atmosphere, SWACO’s Gas Collection and Control System (GCCS) has more than 200 gas extraction wells and miles of underground piping, which converts the gas under vacuum to either SWACO’s flare for destruction or to Archaea Energy’s High BTU facility for treatment. Last year alone, landfill gas sold to Archaea Energy generated more than $3.5 million in revenue for SWACO, where it becomes a renewable energy source for Central Ohioans.
SWACO currently has 100% gas collection coverage over regulatory applicable areas.
This public-private partnership captures and converts enough methane gas from the current Franklin County Sanitary Landfill to heat 13,386 homes in Central Ohio every year.
Green Economy Business Park
In late 2020, SWACO initiated the process to turn a 360-acre greenfield site near the landfill into a Green Economy Business Park. The park is moving ahead of the traditional model of commercial and industrial development to position the Columbus Region as a national leader in sustainability.
While still in the rezoning process, the new Green Economy Business Park will help attract, retain and grow companies in the Region with strong sustainability commitments.
“Business attraction and job creation is often driven by new facilities. The SWACO Green Business Park will allow innovation and growth built on the principle that sustainability is not only good for a community, but also good for a company’s bottom line,” said James Schimmer, Director of Franklin County’s Economic and Development Department.
Not only will the new business park advance SWACO’s goal to leverage the waste stream for greater economic development, but the new park will also tap into a growing market for recycled materials and include sustainable materials management through clean sorting and processing.
Once fully operational, the Green Economy Business Park is expected to yield between 2,000 and 3,500 manufacturing and technology jobs with good wages and create between $350 million to $500 million in capital investment.
At the end of the day, the Green Economy Business Park will help increase waste diversion, leverage the enthusiasm around environmental protection and help to cement the Region as a national leader in sustainability.