We often talk about the everyday household items that could be recycled in order to reduce our reliance on the landfill. But not everything should be put into your blue recycling cart. 

Whether it’s prescription drugs, political yard signs or simply extra food around the table, SWACO is proud to share three upcoming events to help you get one step closer to living more sustainably and make sure you’re recycling correctly.  

Save More Than Food 1-Year Anniversary

We may not be celebrating with a big party, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the 1-year anniversary of our Save More Than Food (SMTF) initiative from your own home! 

Every day, residents and businesses across Central Ohio send a million pounds of food to the landfill, making food waste the largest part of the Franklin County waste stream. SWACO is working with more than 150 non-profit, education, government and business entities to help YOU reduce waste and contribute to our Region’s goal to cut food waste in half by 2030.  

Celebrate this campaign milestone with us by taking steps to reduce food waste at home. Some ideas to get you started:

• Shop Smart, Plan Meals – Plan out your meals for the week. Before you head to the store, make a grocery list of what you have on hand so you don’t end up with duplicates at home, some of which may go bad before you can use them. Check out this Guest-imator tool to help determine how much food you need to purchase.  

• Start Composting – Even with careful planning, leftover food is sometimes inevitable. Composting at home is a quick, easy and low-cost way to make use of food scraps, create healthy soil for your plants and reduce your reliance on the landfill. To learn more about backyard composting, community compost programs and subscription services, click here.  

• Get Creative – Do you actually want to keep those leftovers, but don’t want to recreate the same meal? Check out SavetheFood.com for some inspiring recipes and ways to use those leftovers, food scraps or imperfect items. Find additional tips and recipe collections here. 

Prescription Drug Take Back Day, October 23

When you’re done with prescription medicine, it’s easy to forget about it as it sits unused in a drawer or medicine cabinet. But keeping unneeded medicine in the house can harm children, pets, teens and adults if accidentally ingested or misused. 

Join SWACO and dozens of local partners for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at locations across Franklin County. These collection events provide residents a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs. 

For a complete list of participating locations, click here.

Election Sign Recycling Event, November 6

Wondering what to do with those yard signs after the election is over? SWACO will be hosting a collection and recycling event on November 6 from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Bill McDonald Athletic Complex (4990 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH 43214). All paper and plastic signs (including coroplast) and metal stands will be accepted for recycling.

Want more ideas on how you can recycle right and reduce food waste, visit www.swaco.org. Together, we can make a difference.