Thankful for Food

As Thanksgiving approaches, the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) is encouraging families to reduce food waste by offering tools for planning ahead and repurposing leftovers. 

“An inordinate amount of food is wasted around th...

Renew Your Commitment to Recycling Right on America Recycles Day

Franklin County's diversion rate stands at 51% - higher than the national average! Residents are recycling more than ever and America Recycles Day (Nov. 15) is a perfect time to renew that commitment to waste diversion. This nationally recognized...

Election Sign Recycling

On Saturday, November 12, SWACO will hold a collection and recycling event for election yard signs at the Bill McDonald Athletic Complex in North Columbus (4990 Olentangy River Rd., Columbus, OH 43214) from 8 am to noon. The event is free and open to any ...

It's Gourd to Compost

Picking pumpkins and gourds to decorate your yard and doorstep is part of many families fall traditions. While it’s easy to toss old pumpkins and gourds into the trash, doing so creates unnecessary food waste and wastes natural resources like en...

The Ultimate Assist

As one of the preeminent sports arenas in Ohio, the team behind Nationwide Arena, home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, is committed to being a responsible and sustainable partner to the Columbus community. Part of this commitment includes reducing the arena...

Circular Ohio - PET Plastics

Hopefully by now, dropping recyclables into your recycling cart or a nearby drop-off container comes second nature to you. What you may not realize is that not only are you diverting valuable materials from the landfill, but you are also helping support O...

SWACO Encouraging Families to Get Creative with Leftovers to Reduce Food Waste

As inflation increases food prices, SWACO is renewing efforts to help families save money and reduce their reliance on the landfill by helping them avoid throwing leftovers and other food in the trash. 

“We may not be able to control ris...

SWACO Releases 2021 Community Impact Report

SWACO has published the 2021 annual Community Impact Report providing insights into local disposal trends at the landfill, and updates on collaborations with schools, non-profits, local governments and other organizations to improve recycling and increase...

Sustainable Back-to-School

According to a 2021 National Retail Foundation (NRF) back-to-school shopping survey, American families can spend an average of $849 on back-to-school supplies. Regardless of your income, that can be painful to your pocket.

If you’re on a tight bu...

Grant Spotlight: OhioHealth

Central Ohio hospitals are nationally recognized for the care they provide patients and their families, but what may surprise you is the critical work they’re doing behind the scenes to ensure hospitals are contributing to a greener com...

Plastic Free July

Plastics are part of our everyday life and while earlier this year, Franklin County’s recycling program expanded to accept even more of them, plastics still account for approximately 17% of Franklin County’s landfill material which is equivalent to buryin...

Public Survey Shows that Central Ohioans Strongly Support Waste Reduction and Recycling

New research available from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) shows Central Ohio residents support existing diversion goals, view recycling and composting as important in their community, and desire more opportunities to reduce their relia...

Joe Lombardi Named Executive Director

During a May 10, 2022 meeting, the SWACO Board of Trustees unanimously voted to hire Joe Lombardi as the new Executive Director for SWACO, a role left vacant following the retirement of Ty Marsh in March 2022. Lombardi’s first day with the agenc...

Spring Collection Event for Household Hazardous Waste

At SWACO, we’re committed to not only educating Franklin County residents on how to dispose of waste properly, but also making it easy to do so. 

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) can be harmful to the environment, so it&rsqu...

Need Some Earth Month Inspiration?

We’re almost halfway through Earth Month, and we’ve loved seeing how Franklin County residents, businesses and communities are recognizing this annual moment-in-time to educate and inspire people to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint. 

This ...

Commit to Reducing Waste During Food Waste Prevention Week

Did you know that nearly one million pounds of food waste is landfilled in Franklin County every single day? To bring this number to life, this is the equivalent of wasting:

• 41 BILLION gallons of water – By wasting food, each Central Ohi...

Celebrate Earth Month with SWACO

Even though we promote and encourage discussion and action around sustainability all year, Earth Month is one of our favorite times of the year because it gives us a more visible chance to encourage individuals, families and businesses to renew their comm...

SWACO Names Interim Executive Director

 On March 8, the SWACO Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Susan Tilgner as Interim Executive Director upon the retirement of Ty Marsh, who on March 31, 2022 concluded eight successful years of leading the organization.  

&...

Nine Local Schools and Organizations Receive Grant Funding

SWACO is awarding more than $94,289.85 in grant funding to nine local organizations, city governments, schools and non-profits in Central Ohio as part of its annual Community Waste Reduction Grant program. These grants will help local or...

Event Waste Reduction Grant Applications Now Open

In a typical year, Franklin County is proud to be home to hundreds of public events and festivals each year. While these events welcome thousands of people to our community and help our local economy, they also can create more waste. In fact, our communit...

Smart Shoppers Can Save Not Only Money But Help The Environment Too

Did you ever hear your parents or grandparents say, “waste not, want not”? This phrase, which dates back hundreds of years, still resonates today. That’s because more and more consumers are realizing the impact of the huge am...

Celebrating Recycling Success in Whitehall

During SWACO's February board meeting, Vice Chair Ken Wilson, presented the City of Whitehall a Certificate of Excellence in Sustainability recognizing their recent efforts to implement a new curbside waste and recycling program which re...

Green Up You Super Bowl Party

Most of us couldn't get hold of Super Bowl tickets, but getting together with friends to root for the Bengals is a close second. The best part about hosting your own Super Bowl party is watching the game while enjoying the three Fs: football, foo...

Paper, Plastic and Aluminum Cups Now Accepted

Rumpke Waste and Recycling announced that they have expanded the residential recycling program to include paper, plastic and aluminum cups. The addition of these materials to the recycling program is a big accomplishment for area residents and businesses ...

Ty Marsh Announces Retirement as Executive Director

After serving more than eight years as executive director for the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), Ty Marsh will retire March 31, 2022. Hired by the SWACO Board of Trustees in December 2013, Marsh has overseen significant and strategic chang...

A Look Back: Celebrating a Year of Sustainable Action

When it comes to reducing and disposing waste, SWACO is always planning for the future. Our goal is to divert 75% of waste from the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill by 2032, requiring action from everyone in the community to meet that goal in the years a...

A Sustainable Holiday is Easy to Achieve

Last year, central Ohioans reached a new milestone when they recycled more material than they sent to the Franklin County Sanitary landfill. On average a Franklin County resident creates approximately two pounds of waste daily, and it’s easy for...

Recycle Holiday Lights

Even when those old string lights burn out, making your holidays merry and bright can still be easy when you recycle right.

Five central Ohio communities are hosting convenient collection locations where you can drop off unwanted holiday lights. In additio...

New Multifamily Housing Recycling Program Announced on America Recycles Day

SWACO is announcing a new multifamily housing recycling pilot program conducted with The Recycling Partnership and the City of Columbus to help kick off America Recycles Day on November 15. 

The six-month pilot is designed to reach up to 10,000 un...

First Year of Food Waste Campaign Delivers Tangible Results

SWACO is celebrating the first anniversary of the ‘Save More Than Food’ (SMTF) initiative, a public education campaign launched in Fall 2020 as a way to help homes, schools and businesses reduce their food waste and contribute to a Franklin County-wide go...

Fall Collection Events Scheduled for Pharmaceuticals and Yard Signs

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 sig...

SWACO Joins Columbus, Community Partners to Announce Details for New Solar Park

SWACO joined Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and other city, energy and community partners to announce that the planned Columbus Solar Park will power Clean Energy Columbus – the city's 100% clean energy aggregation initiative &nda...

Columbus Neighborhood Welcomes Recycle Right, Make a Difference

The City of Columbus and SWACO are again partnering to improve recycling. This month, the partners introduced Recycle Right, Make a Difference to families and residents in the Hilltop, encouraging more frequent and better recycling in addition to helping ...

Fall HHW Collection Events Scheduled

At SWACO, we’re committed to not only educating Franklin County residents on how to dispose of waste properly, but also making it easy to do so.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) can be harmful to the environment, so it’s important to pro...

Go Green, Save Green

It’s that exciting time of year for students in Franklin County when the weather will start to cool, fall sports will kick off and students will head back to the classroom. As you create your back-to-school to-do list, it’s important t...

Progress Update for Carbon Emissions Management Plan

SWACO is proud to share a progress update on the critical steps the organization, its partners and the Franklin County community have taken to reduce our collective carbon footprint and limit our impact on climate change. The update looks back on &nbs...

SWACO Expands Leadership Team; Promotes Rebecca Egelhoff to Legal Affairs Director

The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) has promoted Rebecca L. Egelhoff (43235) to Legal Affairs Director. As Director, Rebecca will continue to handle all of SWACO’s day to day legal affairs and provide strategic counsel to the SWACO...

'Go Green' this Summer

With more time spent at home during the summer months, household waste has the potential to increase. SWACO has compiled a list of simple tips so you and your family can have a green summer: 

Join the Plastic Free movement: Commit to red...

Go Green for Independence Day

With Independence Day celebrations on the horizon, SWACO is sharing some easy ways to make your summer celebrations a little more sustainable this year. 

SWACO Joins Partners Across the Region in Advocating for Safety Within the Waste Industry

SWACO is proud to celebrate a nationally recognized safety initiative that encourages and advocates for stronger safety practices on the road to protect our community’s valued waste haulers and collection workers. Solid waste collection is the sixth deadl...

Recycle Yard Waste this Spring Season

With Memorial Day right around the corner, getting the yard ready to enjoy with family and friends is an activity so many of us are doing right now. As you seize the opportunity to enjoy fresh air and tend to your outdoor projects, keep in mind ways you c...

Celebrating SWACO School Recycling Champions

SWACO’s School Recycling Champion program launched at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. The program presents schools with resources to help implement recycling education with kid-friendly activities. It also offers funding assistance t...

Local Innovators Invited to ‘Waste to Resources' Challenge

Each year, over a million tons of waste is landfilled from Franklin County businesses and residents, including one million pounds of discarded food each day. Most of this waste could be diverted from entering the landfill through reuse, recycling and comp...

Looking Ahead to Next School Year - SWACO has Resources to Help Schools

Dear Educators – 

As districts across Franklin County wrap up a very challenging 2020-2021 school year and look ahead to returning to a more traditional school environment in the future, SWACO encourages you to consider the importance of...

SWACO Community Waste Reduction Grant Program Applications Now Open

At SWACO, we believe strongly that everyone has the power to make a fundamental difference in creating a safer, more sustainable community and to help meet our aggressive goals to increase recycling and diversion of materials away from the landfill. But w...

Making a Difference

It’s no mystery that 2020 had a profound impact on everyone in our community. Lifestyle changes forced upon us as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted every part of our lives – even our waste stream. From increased cardboard shipping boxes...

This Year, Make Every Day Earth Day

Earth Day is a global call to action to take meaningful steps to support and protect our environment not only for ourselves, but for future generations. At SWACO, we believe in treating every day as Earth Day. We believe each day is an opportunity to take...

Learn How to ‘Recycle Right’ This Earth Month

With Earth Day just one week away, now is the perfect time to determine how you’ll celebrate – on Earth Day, and every day. Every year, Franklin County residents and businesses send over a million tons of material to the Frank...

Celebrate Earth Month

April marks the start of Earth Month, a time that encourages action and initiative in lessening our impact on the environment by reducing waste and committing to recycling and composting. These actions also serve to strengthen the local economy and help f...

Tips to Reduce Food Waste this Spring

With days turning longer and warmer weather returning to Central Ohio, many families are looking forward to (safe) gatherings this Spring, starting with the Passover and Easter holidays. But with holidays come large meals for family and friends, often lea...

Grant Program Reaches New Heights

SWACO has awarded more than $224,000 in grant funding to 15 local organizations, schools and non-profits in Central Ohio, the most grant funding awarded as part of the Community Waste Reduction Grant program in recent history.

The increase is an acknowledg...

Central Ohio Hospitals Reuse and Recycle Vaccine Packaging Materials

Like many states across the U.S., the month of March will mark the one-year anniversary of the first pandemic-related ‘Stay at Home’ orders in Ohio.  Since that time, the state, nation and the world have weathered (and lost) a...

Ty Marsh: Properly managed, waste stream can be a valuable resource

In 2021, a New York-based renewable energy company will break ground on Columbus Solar Park. This 50-megawatt facility will be built on the 173-acre site of Franklin County’s closed former landfill southwest of Downtown along I-71. BQ Energy wil...

SWACO to Reduce Its Carbon Emissions 64% by 2032

In recognition that climate plays a critical role in our community’s quality of life, economic well-being and long-term sustainability, SWACO has committed to reducing its carbon footprint and, ultimately, its impact on climate change. ...

Central Ohio’s Recycling Program is Growing

With the new year, comes some good news from our partners at Rumpke Waste & Recycling. Rumpke announced that they would be expanding their plastics recycling program to include polypropylene tubs and yogurt containers. 

Now Accepted &ndash...

SWACO Receives National Grant to Study Effectiveness of Food Waste Diversion Activities

SWACO is one of three organizations that recently received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support sustainable materials management projects in Ohio. Sustainable materials management, according to the U.S. EPA, is a systematic app...

More Franklin County communities pledge to Recycle Right

In 2018, SWACO introduced its Recycle Right: Make a Difference education campaign to encourage recycling and teach the right way to do it. We created the campaign following a survey showing people want to recycle but get confused about which items are acc...

SWACO wins national recycling award for food waste diversion work

The National Recycling Coalition, a non-profit organization focused on promoting and enhancing recycling in the United States has named SWACO as the Outstanding Recycling Organization for 2020. 

Nominated by GT Environm...

SWACO, Rev1 Ventures team up to fuel startups innovating food waste

Today, Rev1 Ventures, the startup studio that combines capital and strategic services, and the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), whose mission it is to improve Central Ohio’s solid waste stream through effective red...

SWACO seeks to make a lasting impact with “Save More Than Food” campaign

In central Ohio, food waste is a complex issue that’s impacting the health of our community, economy, and environment in ways many people don’t realize. That’s why SWACO and more than 150 partners in the Central Ohio Food Was...

New Kids Corner Aims to Make the Start of the School Year Fun

Many studies have shown that children form habits by the time they’re 9 or 10 years old. That means we have a relatively short window of time to ingrain good practices in our kids. While it’s important to teach good manners, healthy ea...

Fifteen Organizations Receive SWACO Grant Funding; Others Invited to Apply

In keeping with its mission to improve Franklin County’s solid waste stream, SWACO has awarded $201,873.31 in competitive grant funding to 15 community projects to implement or improve waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting activities....

SWACO Selects Firm to Plan Large Solar Energy Facility on Site of Former County Landfill

SWACO has entered into an agreement with BQ Energy Development, LLC, to lease the approximately 173-acre property that once served as Franklin County’s sanitary landfill between Jackson Pike and I-71 in Grove City, Ohio. The property will be put...

Study: 76% of Franklin County Waste Stream Could Be Diverted From Landfill

SWACO has released a study documenting that up to 76% of the material currently being sent to the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill could be recycled or composted. The study also found that of those discarded materials, the items presenting the biggest op...

Executive Director Ty Marsh: As Recycling Rate Climbs, SWACO Studies Will Inform Future Strategies

In November, SWACO released new data that shows central Ohio has now surpassed a 50% diversion rate. This means that residents and businesses are keeping over half of the waste they create out of the landfill by recycling, composting and re-using material...

P&G, Rumpke and SWACO Provide Update on the State of Recycling in Central Ohio

Over the past year, global markets for recyclables have shifted causing a rippling effect that has hindered recycling programs across the country. As a result, many Ohio communities have seen a recent increase in the cost for recycling programs which has ...

Dublin Irish Festival Doubles Its Recycling in Two Short Years

More than 100,000 people attend the Dublin Irish Festival each year. With a $6,000 grant from SWACO, the festival was able to double the amount of recyclable materials it collected this year.

“The City of Dublin strives to be a leader in mitigati...

Partnerships That Are Changing Lives

Every family deserves to live in a furnished home, and the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio works to make that happen. Recently, SWACO’s executive director Ty Marsh met with Furniture Bank President Steve Votaw to discuss how the nonprofit charita...

The Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative Introduces Food Waste Resources for Schools

Last year, we launched the Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative, a group of more than 60 local organizations sharing the same goal: to cut central Ohio food waste in half by 2030. The members of COFWI worked together to develop an action plan, which they re...

Recycle Right Education Campaign Wins Marketing Industry Award

SWACO’s education campaign, “Recycle Right, Make a Difference,” was awarded a MarCom Award for its “Don’t Bag Plastics” video. The MarCom Awards honor excellence in marketing and communications.

W...

Executive Director Ty Marsh: SWACO Initiatives Have Significant Impact on Central Ohio

Central Ohioans are recycling more than ever before. In 2017, the latest year for which we have statistics, our region’s residents and businesses diverted 49 percent of all the waste they created from the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill throug...

What's the Future of Recycling in Light of China's Ban on Imported Recyclable Materials?

China has long been one of our country’s leading buyers of recyclable paper and plastic products, taking about 40 percent of these materials nationwide. But China implemented a new policy in January 2018 that more or less prohibits the country from accept...

SWACO Efforts Promote Cleaner Air in Central Ohio

SWACO works hard to safely dispose of the waste created in Central Ohio, but it also works to harness the landfill to create resources and promote cleaner air for our communities. That’s why SWACO partners with Aria Energy to collect the methane...

SWACO's Educational Resources Help Little Ones Learn About Recycling

As families and young learners prepare to head back to the classroom this fall, SWACO is working with local school districts and teachers to provide educational resources for learning at home and in the classroom. The new educational resources, available ...

SWACO and COSI Unveil a Recycle Right, Make a Difference Exhibit for Families

When you visit COSI, don’t forget to check out our new Recycle Right exhibit. Unveiled in April, the exhibit illustrates how recycling benefits our community. The new exhibit consists of four sections. The first section shows how different recyc...

Tips and Tricks to Help Parents Live Green and Save Green as Kids Go Back to School

In the coming days, students across Franklin County will be heading back into classrooms. Do your back-to-school plans include reusing items and reducing the amount of waste your family generates? If not, consider these tips to help reduce the amount of m...

More Franklin County Events Pursue Greener Status

SWACO today announced the recipients of its 2019 Event Waste Reduction Grant. This grant helps fund public outreach and education efforts around waste reduction and diversion and as well as specific activities that increase reuse, recycling and composting...

New Recycling Education Website - RecycleRight.org - is Up and Running

In 2018, SWACO launched “Recycle Right, Make a Difference,” an educational campaign designed to increase recycling and reduce recycling contamination. SWACO created the campaign following a survey that showed residents were excited about recycling but con...

SWACO's Waste Diversion Efforts Yield Positive Results for Central Ohio

Central Ohio’s efforts to divert waste from the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill are paying off in more ways than one.

According to SWACO’s 2018 Community Impact Report, which was released today, Central Ohio’s recycling rate...

SWACO Releases Plan to Cut Food Waste in Half by 2030

Following nearly a year of community engagement and planning, Central Ohio now has a multi-faceted action plan to address food waste and leverage it for the region’s benefit. The Food Waste Action Plan (“Plan”) is the result ...

SWACO and Local Communities Roll Out New Recycling Carts to 38,000 Households in Franklin County

Today, officials from Blendon Township and the cities of Westerville, Gahanna, Bexley and Reynoldsburg kicked off a new effort to deliver larger, more efficient recycling carts to more than 38,000 Franklin County homes. 

These five communities are...

SWACO and The Recycling Partnership Team Up to Make Recycling Carts Available in More Neighborhoods

SWACO is launching a new program to help any Franklin County community that doesn’t currently own curbside recycling carts to purchase them for only $22.50 per cart – a 50% reduction in price.

These wheeled recycling carts provide many advantages over recy...

Executive Director's Update: Looking Back, Moving Forward

Looking back at 2018, it’s clear that SWACO and Franklin County had some significant achievements.

First, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency granted us a “Permit to Install,” which will help to ensure that Franklin Count...

SWACO Expands Waste Capacity with New Landfill Cell

SWACO has constructed a new landfill cell, which will help to ensure there is landfill space available for Franklin County residents and businesses well into the future. The new cell was finished in December 2018 at a cost of $9.7 million.

Today’...

Local Organizations Benefit from SWACO's Community Waste Reduction Grants

SWACO has awarded just over $178,000 in “Community Waste Reduction Grants” to fourteen organizations in Franklin County to implement waste reduction programs. Here’s a list of the organizations and a brief description of thei...

SWACO Launches Initiative to Reduce Food Waste

In 2017, food waste comprised about 12.8 percent, or 143,616 tons, of the material landfilled by Franklin County businesses and residents. That same year, an estimated 10,288 tons of food waste was diverted from the landfill, resulting in a food waste div...

Study Reveals Economic Impact of Local Recycling Industry

We’ve always known that recycling was good for the environment. Now, SWACO is documenting that it’s an economic driver and jobs-producer, as well. SWACO hired DSM Environmental Services to conduct a study to determine the actual size o...

Executive Director Ty Marsh: SWACO Successfully Tackles Three Major Initiatives

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 un...

New Children's Garden Opens with SWACO-Funded Composting Sign

The new Children’s Garden at the Franklin Park Conservatory opened May 19. Among the garden’s many attractions is a small exhibit featuring a 36-inch-high worm and a SWACO-funded sign that explains the economic and environment benefits of composting and t...

"Recycle Right" Pilot Campaign Succeeds at Educating Residents

SWACO launched an educational campaign earlier this year aimed at teaching people the proper way to recycle. The campaign, called “Recycle Right,” was introduced as a pilot program in Grove City, Urbancrest and Jackson Township. Follow...

Turn Your Yard Waste into Compost

Did you know that yard waste is not permitted in the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill? That’s why most communities in Franklin County offer a yard waste pickup program. Communities in Franklin County divert nearly 200,000 tons of yard waste eac...

SWACO Grant Program Supports Community Projects

SWACO is seeking applicants for its Community Waste Reduction (CWR) Grant Program, which funds innovative waste reduction and diversion projects. This competitive program is open to nonprofit organizations, governmental entities and public schools, univer...

Poll Shows Positive Views on Recycling in Central Ohio

A public opinion poll conducted by the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) and EMC Research determined that the majority of Franklin County residents recycle because it’s the right thing to do and is good for the environment. The surve...