SWACO’s mission is to do everything we can to keep material out of the Franklin County landfill.
It’s encouraging that in recent years:
- Yearly tonnages at the landfill remain relatively flat even though population is growing.
- Recycling is strong.
- More residents are composting!
Yet, 76% of what arrives at the landfill today could be diverted and those materials are in demand by nearly 400 recycling-reliant businesses in central Ohio. We have work to do to create a sustainable future for our region.
Reducing our reliance on the landfill has taken on greater urgency in recent years because of central Ohio's booming population and how much local businesses and the economy rely on recycling.
By maintaining the valuable programs and services local residents, families, schools and businesses trust SWACO to provide, we will also look to the future for greater diversion and economic opportunity.
Greenprint will help to move our region further forward. It's how we're leaving our mark.
How Will We Get There?
Reimagining Programs
SWACO is pursuing new ways of delivering mature programs with an eye to customer service and greater cost efficiencies.
Drop Off Recycling Program
Today, SWACO’s Drop Off Recycling Program includes 189 containers which are available at 70 locations across Franklin County, however 58% of all the materials collected are received at only 14 locations. Since 2021, collection totals have declined significantly leading to increased inefficiencies and higher costs per ton for SWACO to operate the program as it’s currently set up. SWACO’s program evaluation will include gathering feedback and recommendations, assessing potential impacts of the current program, and collaborating on the implementation of the most practical and responsible plan for operation. SWACO’s focus will remain on the delivery of sustainable solutions that support the organization’s mission.
Choose to Reuse Community Center
SWACO operates a permanent Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility and supports several mobile collection events annually to ensure the proper disposal of hard to recycle and hazardous materials. Many times, residents drop off new or usable materials such as paints, windshield washer fluids, bug repellants, cleaners and other chemicals, furniture, and wood which could be made available in ‘as is’ condition for free to residents. SWACO’s new Choose to Reuse Community Center would serve as a centralized location for residents to access these materials for personal use. Similar to a thrift store for unneeded but usable items, similar centers are operating successfully in Cincinnati, OH, Austin, TX and Madison, WI.
Other programs currently under review include the Environmental Crimes Task Force, Household Hazardous Waste and Residential Yard Waste program.
Seizing Emerging Opportunities
SWACO is forming new partnerships and creating outlets and opportunities to capture and divert hard to recycle items.
Textiles
Textiles are an emerging waste stream and account for 4%, or 46,000 tons annually, sent to the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill. Recycling textiles is important not only because it reduces landfill waste, but recycling textiles also reduces the need for new raw materials saving natural resources and minimizing pollution. Textile recycling also creates jobs and promotes a circular economy. In 2025 and beyond, SWACO will facilitate pilot projects for collection, sorting and processing of these materials and will promote reuse and upcycling to help drive solutions for textile waste in central Ohio.
Mattresses
National estimates suggest that over 80% of mattresses created end up in a landfill or dumped in the environment. When sent to landfills, mattresses take up valuable space and contribute to pollution.
Mattresses contain valuable materials that can be repurposed or reused, minimizing the need for new resources yet there is currently no ability to recycle mattresses in Franklin County.
Using learnings from programs available in other states such as this one at Seven Rivers Recycling Wisconsin, where 90% of a mattress gets recycled, SWACO is pursuing opportunities to capture these materials in central Ohio and identifying partners that can deconstruct, sort the material and recycle the steel springs, foam and padding, fabric and fibers, and wood frames. In addition, SWACO is working to identify outlets for reuse and repurposing of the salved materials.
Additional Convenience Centers
SWACO’s Recycling Convenience Centers serve as a one-stop destination for individuals seeking a hassle-free avenue to recycle a diverse array of materials.
In the coming years, SWACO will expand the number of Recycling Convenience Centers in Franklin County in order to provide residents with greater access to recycle a wide range of materials and reduce the environmental impact of waste disposal.
By eliminating the complexity often associated with recycling, SWACO intends to make it second nature for Franklin County residents to divert recyclable items from landfills, fostering a more sustainable future for our region.
Bringing New Infrastructure & Technology to the Region
Seventy-six percent of material sent to the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill has the potential to be diverted through programs which exist today or with the advent of new infrastructure. And the single largest source of landfilled material is food waste, making it one of the best opportunities for increased landfill diversion. Yet, solving the issue of wasted food is a complex one and for which there is no single complete solution.
Food Waste Composting Infrastructure
In 2025, SWACO will pursue small scale, yet advanced in-vessel systems designed for efficient and environmentally friendly organic waste processes. SWACO will purchase several units similar to this one being used by The Food Bank Inc., in Dayton, OH. Green Mountain Technology is suitable for various applications including food waste, manure and agricultural residues. SWACO will work with its current yard waste vendors, and community partners to identify several locations for the units to be placed around central Ohio.
High Tech Infrastructure to Capture Recyclables that Arrive at the Landfill
We’re investing in systems at our landfill to help recover recyclable materials and organics that end up in the trash. These advanced tools use automated sorting machines to find and pull-out items like plastics, metals, and cardboard.
This means less waste in the landfill, more materials reused or recycled, and a cleaner, more sustainable future for our community. It’s one more way we’re working to protect our environment and make recycling easier for everyone.
Collaborate with us.
Contact a member of SWACO’s team if you want to work with us on one of these initiatives and help leave a green print on central Ohio.