Over the past couple of years, SWACO has been involved in three significant initiatives to further our mission of improving the waste stream through effective reduction, recycling and disposal. I’m happy to report that we have concluded these undertakings with very positive results.

First, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved our application for a permit to install. In other words, the agency gave us permission to extend the life of the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill to provide waste disposal for an additional 30 years beyond its current 20-year life expectancy. That means two more generations of Franklin County residents and businesses will have access to safe, efficient and affordable waste disposal. With our concurrent focus on diversion (recycling, reuse and repurposing), we anticipate the landfill to last beyond 2068. Our goal as a public entity is not to fill the landfill, but rather to ensure long-term access to safe disposal options.

Second, SWACO reduced the tipping fee we charge haulers by $3 per ton, dropping it from $42.75 per ton to $39.75 per ton. The lower fee, which nearly all of our 41 communities in Franklin County approved, should remain in effect for many years.

Third, SWACO recently updated its Solid Waste Management Plan. The Ohio EPA requires us to update the plan every five years to achieve state-required goals and diversion rates. Our district’s diversion rate now stands at a record high 46.5 percent, an increase of 12 percent over the past four years. The updated plan includes new and revised programs, educational outreach efforts and infrastructure improvements, all designed to increase the diversion rate.

SWACO Board Sets New Short- and Long-Term Goals

In January, the SWACO board established some ambitious goals for the organization, and we’ve already begun working to meet them. The goals include:

• increasing our diversion rate to 50 percent by the end of 2020.
• improving customer convenience and efficiency.
• transforming the model landfill located off of I-71 at Frank Road.
• developing an economic development strategy to leverage SWACO’s assets and advance its mission.

SWACO Wins Award for its Branding Campaign  

As part of SWACO’s efforts to position the organization as a trusted partner and community resource, we refreshed our brand in 2016 by creating a new logo, adopting the “From Waste to Resources” tagline and introducing a new color palette. We’ve received very positive feedback on the change and recently won an award for it. In May 2018, the Ohio Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America gave us a PRism Award in the branding/rebranding category. It’s nice sometimes to have your work validated by outside groups!

Sincerely,

Ty Marsh