The average central Ohioan creates as much as 10 pounds of waste a day and while more than half of the materials consumed are recycled, more than a million tons are still sent to the landfill annually.

Reducing our reliance on the landfill has many environmental (and economic) benefits and helps to extend the life of the landfill, ensuring it’s around longer for items that have no other place to go safely.

“When it comes to practicing the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), reducing waste is not only easy to remember and do, but is also best for protecting the environmental health of the Region for future generations,” said SWACO’s Executive Director Joe Lombardi.

As central Ohio’s population continues to grow, protecting the life of the landfill and the health of the environment will take residents and businesses alike working towards similar sustainability goals.

This Earth Month (April), SWACO is offering several tips to help reduce the amount of waste being created in Franklin County.  

1. Say No to Single Use Items – Use a reusable water bottle or party cup, or bring along your own takeout food container when eating out in lieu of using single use plastic items. 
2. Borrow When You Can – Tool-lending libraries are a great way to avoid purchasing new hand and power tools that may have limited use around the home or office. 
3. Buy Secondhand – To help cut costs and avoid waste, shop secondhand stores for equipment for kids’ latest seasonal activities or events.
4. Eat Your Food – Shopping more frequently for fresh produce and buying smaller quantities based on what you’re able to eat right away will help reduce food waste.   
5. Consolidate Activities – When it comes to running errands or on-line shopping, consolidate your activities and packages into one delivery to save on gas and avoid multiple boxes, stuffed with packing materials, from arriving at your home.  

“Reducing your reliance on the landfill is easy when you make a commitment to choose a few low-waste activities and do them consistently throughout your day,” said Director Lombardi. “And Earth Month is the perfect time to commit to making a change. You don’t need to go big or be perfect in your efforts in order to have a positive impact.”   

Beyond these individual actions a resident or business can take, Franklin County families are invited to join one of these sustainability events being hosted by various organizations throughout the month of April.