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 COSI Launch New Recycling Exhibit for Families

https://youtu.be/zdJjncZD0d8

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 Receives National Grant to Implement "Food Waste Warrior" Curriculum

Some students in Franklin County are learning about food waste and ways they can reduce it, thanks to a grant from SWACO and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

In October 2018, SWACO was one of nine recipients across the U.S. to receive a grant from WWF to pilot i...

SWACO Funds Community Projects to Reduce Waste, and Reuse, Recycle and Compost Materials

In keeping with SWACO’s mission to improve the solid waste stream through effective reduction, recycling and safe disposal, SWACO has awarded $178,091.74 in competitive grant funding to fourteen community projects. The 2019 Community Waste Reduc...

Conquering Columbus Featuring SWACO

Conquering Columbus Episode 137 | Listen

Recycle Right: Plastic Recycling

Plastic materials are in our every day lives, but many of these items have different rules on whether or not that they can be recycled. 10TV spoke with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) about how to properly recycle plastics in Franklin Co...

From Waste to Resources: Be Responsible When Discarding Electronics

Technology keeps advancing at a rapid pace. While these advancements benefit people, they sometimes are not so good for the environment.

As technology improves, we discard electronics at an alarming rate -- everything from iPods, printers and computers to ...

Reduce Your Plastic Use with These Easy Swaps

Plastic accounts for 17% of all the material that is thrown into the landfill each year by Franklin County residents and businesses*. What were yesterday’s benefits of plastic are quickly becoming a topic for greater discussion today. Plastic is...

Recycle Right: National Recycling Day

November 15th, is America Recycles Day, a day that was created to raise awareness about recycling and the purchasing of recycled products.

The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) launched their “Recycle Right” campaign earlier...

Transfer Station Changes Enhance Safety

In early November, SWACO notified waste hauling partners that effective immediately no small trucks, trailers, or box trucks will be able to utilize the Morse Road Eco-Station or Jackson Pike Transfer Stations for the drop-off of waste materials. Only reg...

America Recycles Day

FRANKLIN COUNTY REACHES NEW RECORD HIGH RATE OF RECYCLING Donatos and SWACO team up to celebrate and increase recycling right

November 15 -- Today is America Recycles Day, and Franklin County residents have a lot to celebrate. SWACO is pleased to report th...

Executive Director Ty Marsh: SWACO Activities Help to Educate Residents About Recycling

ThisWeek Column Increases SWACO’s Visibility in Central Ohio 

If you receive a ThisWeek Community News newspaper at your house, then you may have seen SWACO’s new monthly column, From Waste to Resources. In cooperation with Thi...

Videos Highlight Recipients of SWACO's Community Waste Reduction Grants

In 2016, SWACO launched the Community Waste Reduction (CWR) Grant Program, which supports the waste reduction and materials diversion efforts of local organizations by providing financial support to offset the costs of innovative programs. We want to show...

Recycling Drop-Off Program: Improved Enforcement Aims to Curtail Littering and Illegal Dumping

SWACO is stepping up efforts to prevent illegal dumping and littering at more than 55 drop-off recycling locations around Franklin County. The actions were announced after persistent illegal dumping at participating locations, resulting in increased progr...

Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative Shares Waste Reduction Tips for the Fall

Each year, Americans throw away about $165 billion worth of food, equaling about $2,000 per household. The amount of food people waste is a concern in central Ohio, just as it is across the country. Locally, nearly 13 percent of all waste that goes into t...

Recycle Right Campaign Expands to Norwich Township, Portions of Columbus

In October, SWACO partnered with the city of Columbus and Norwich Township to expand the “Recycle Right” program into those communities. Information and materials were mailed to all Norwich Township residents and 5,000 Columbus residen...

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...

SWACO Expands Drop-Off Recycling Program to Better Serve Community

Following on-going evaluation and changes to make the program more effective and cost-efficient, SWACO’s drop-off recycling program is adding five locations to better serve all Franklin County communities.

The recycling containers, which are free...

Manage Yard Waste the Right Way

As the yard care season gets into full swing, SWACO is reminding residents that properly disposing of yard waste can save money and make a difference for our environment.Residents with yards and gardens generate yard waste, such as leaves, grass clippings...

Proper Recycling and Safe Disposal Have Environmental, Economic and Societal Benefits

As Franklin County’s
population grows, the amount of waste produced is increasing. Today, onaverage, each Franklin County resident generates nearly nine pounds of unwanted
material a day. Thankfully, not all of that additional waste ends up ...

Grant to Help Divert Final Four Event Generated Waste from County Landfill

During the event, the GCCC and SWACO will be providing guests with the ease of discarding bottles and cans in designated containers in the concourse and exhibit halls. This will assist the facility in reducing the tons of waste sent to the local landfill.

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...

Columbus Pursues "Evergreen" Sustainability Certification for 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four

The Columbus Local Organizing Committee (CLOC) has incorporated sustainability impact areas into the 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four by planning a wide range of activities and actions designed to engage residents, businesses, and visitors to help m...

Executive Director's Winter Update: Ty Marsh

Achieving a Higher Diversion Rate

SWACO is beginning 2018 with great momentum, especially when it comes to diversion rates. For the first time, the community has achieved a higher rate (46.5%) of diverting materials away from the Franklin County Sanitary L...

2018 Community Grant Recipients Announced

In keeping with SWACO’s mission to improve the solid waste stream through effective reduction, recycling and safe disposal, SWACO has awarded $133,588.70 in competitive grant funding to eleven community projects. The 2018 Community Waste Reducti...

Consortiums Expand Services with Competitive Rates

Twenty-three communities now participate in SWACO assisted consortiums. The consortium and contract assistance helps to ensure that communities receive the best services at the lowest cost. The SWACO program is a model for other counties.

With SWACO&rs...

2017 Fall Diversion Events a Success

Collection and recycling events for unwanted medications and used political signage are becoming increasingly popular.

SWACO has partnered with law enforcement, the City of Columbus, Franklin County and businesses such as Kroger and Cardinal Health to make...

New Management Team Members Join SWACO

Director of Administration Jeff Wilkins, Fleet Manager Bill Burns and Programs Manager Andrew Booker join SWACO’s management team. 

Jeff Wilkins

Director of Administration

Jeff Wilkins joined SWACO recently as the new director of administr...

New SWACO Education Campaign - Recycle Right Begins

New SWACO Education Campaign – Recycle Right Begins

Last year, 2.1 million tons of waste was generated by residents and businesses in Franklin County - enough to fill Ohio Stadium four times, and equating to about five pounds of waste a day, per ...

Executive Director Fall Update: Ty Marsh

On the Horizon

SWACO Board of Trustees and Management Team are focused on refining our strategic priorities for the next three years, and developing a long-term view of the next 10 to 20 years.

Solid Waste Management Plan

SWACO’s foundational work ...

Celebrate Halloween and Keep Bags Out of the Landfill

The second annual Old Hilliard Halloween Haunt is slated for Saturday, October 21, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Old Hilliard on Main Street. Parking is available at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.

Activities include the infamous Scavenger Hunt with pri...

Columbus and SWACO to Host 4th Annual Green Purge Event on October 21, 2017

The City of Columbus, SWACO, Goodwill Columbus, the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio and the Ohio History Connection have teamed up to present the fourth annual Columbus Green Purge Event. It will be held on the Ohio History Connection grounds on October 21...

SWACO Shares Best Practices, Donates Containers to Columbus City Schools

Continuing a 10-year partnership, SWACO recently assisted Columbus City Schools to improve their recycling by sharing best practices and donating 117 recycling containers. 

Currently, 60% of the waste disposed of at the landfill is generated by co...

Fall Back...Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Fall is a great time to ‘fall back’ into better habits that will benefit the environment. Before you place it in the trash bin, check out the recycling bin, a donation center, or the compost pile.

Remember if you throw it in the trashcan, it ends up in the...

Waste and Recycling Haulers Update

Third Quarter Update

The following articles have been compiled to provide hauling and recycling companies with specialized news and information to assist in working with the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill and SWACO.

New Wheel Wash – Now in Oper...

Regional and National Recognitions

Fall Recognitions

NWRA Sustainability Partnership Game Changer

SWACO’s partnership with Aria Energy has resulted in a nomination for the Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award from the National Waste & Recycling Association (N...

Take Waste Out of the Environment

Household Hazardous Waste

Household Hazardous Waste Mobile Collection Event

SWACO partners with local communities to provide convenient events to dispose of unwanted household chemicals that should not be disposed of in the trash.

Two events were held in Sep...

Do Business With Us Presentation - November 2

Register to Attend

SWACO is hosting an informational session to assist Franklin County businesses in learning more about SWACO’s enhanced competitive bid process, contract compliance, and the types of work available.

If you previously worked with ...

MORPC Summit on Sustainability - November 14

SWACO to Host Session at Summit

SWACO’s Innovation and Programs Department will host a Materials Management Session titled Keys to Successful Recycling Programs at the 2017 Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s signature environmenta...

Profile of a Future-Focused Mom

Last year, Sarah Hazzard, a Columbus working mom, toured the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill and was impressed with SWACO’s focus on diverting waste away from the landfill.

Each resident in Franklin County generates on average 4 to 5 pounds of ...

Road Debris is Endangering Ohioans

Tarp Those Loads 

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and WSYX TV Channel 6 recently produced a news story to remind everyone about the danger of road debris on Franklin County Roadways.

Remember when heading to the Franklin Co...

Safety at SWACO Transfer Stations

For a safe and accident free visit to the SWACO transfer station, it is important for all customers and employees to follow these simple guidelines:

• Please follow the loader operator’s directions – they have control of the tipping floor...

Understanding Traffic Flow Patterns at the Landfill

It can get rather busy within the landfill site, however there is a clear method and process that works to keep employees and customers safe, and free from accidents and injuries. 

A few do’s and don’ts:

• When a dozer operator ma...

Safety at the Landfill

During the summer, SWACO provided haulers and recyclers with a Landfill Safety Update to address concerns raised by the community regarding speed and traffic control.

Since that time, landfill operations personnel have noticed an increase in law enforcemen...

Special Waste Disposal Requirements

What is special waste? 

Special waste is defined as any waste material that has physical characteristics, chemical makeup or biological nature that requires either special handling procedures or permits, or poses a threat to human health, equipmen...

SWACO Adding Two Drop-Off Recycling Locations in Columbus

With support from community partners, SWACO has added two new drop-off recycling locations in the Clintonville and Northland neighborhoods. Lots on each of the following locations now have three (3), 8-cubic yard recycling containers:

• Franklin County Depar...

New Wheel Wash - Now in Operation

Visitors will notice a new, efficient wash system at the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill. It replaced an inefficient and dated 15-year old wheel wash.

SWACO recently completed the installation of the new wash system including a concrete overflow tank, re...

Composting Leaves and Yard Waste is Easy To Do

It's fall and the leaves are dropping on yards across Franklin County. Did you know that leaves are considered yard waste as are brush, grass clippings, branches, and shrubbery? Yard waste is not accepted at the landfill but composting yard waste is easy ...

Officials Re-Evaluate Recycling Programs

http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170811/officials-re-evaluate-recycling-programs

Executive Director Ty Marsh Mid-Year Update on SWACO Priorities

The four strategic initiatives, identified by the SWACO Board of Directors at the beginning of 2016, are guiding SWACO’s daily activities.SWACO team members have been working efficiently and effectively to continue to drive change throughout the...

New Recycling and Reuse Search Tool

The new and improved SWACO website now offers a database search tool that provides Franklin County residents and businesses the information they need to safely dispose of
unwanted items. 

The tool answers the question“How do I donate,...

Crimes Task Force Has Impact

In 2016, SWACO’s largest grant, almost a half million dollars, was provided to the Environmental Crimes Task Force of Central Ohio (ECTF) to provide community education, support the 24/7 crime reporting website – itsacrime.org, investi...

Community Waste Reduction Grants - Apply Now!

SWACO is inviting local schools, communities and non-profits to submit applications for the Community Waste Reduction Grant Program, a competitive program offering a total of $150,000 in funding. Local schools, communities and non-profits can apply now fo...

New Business Recycling Focus

It is estimated that
sixty-percent of all waste at the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill comes fromthe commercial sector. With a goal to increase recycling, SWACO is developing
new business programs. SWACO has conducted localand national re...

Collection Events are a Hit...Why Wait?

Were you one of 942 cars waiting in line at the Earth Day Household Hazardous Waste collection event?  If so, SWACO, the environment and the community thank you.A total of 72,481 lbs. of materials were collected - an increase of 17,108 over last ...

Reasons to Celebrate - Safety, Programming and Partnerships

SWACO Recognized for Making Safety a Top Priority

Director of Operations and Maintenance Scott Perry (far right) recently accepted the 2016 Safety Achievement Award on behalf of all SWACO’s employees at the Bureau of Worker’s Compensati...

Earth Day

Every year, since 1970, there have been sustainable and earth focused activities during the month of April, and especially on April 22 - Earth Day.

But do you know the history of how Earth Day came to be? In a nutshell…

U.S Senator Gaylord Nelson...

Earth Week in Columbus

Since 2007, thanks to Green Columbus, this area has benefited from more than 100,000 hours of resident “green” service.

Service sites vary in size from 5 to 300 volunteers, and range from neighborhood litter sweeps, community gardens, a...

It's Spring!

Consider these simple tips this Spring to have even more green in your life.

• Avoid the use of chemicals in the garden or on the lawn. They eventually end up in the water systems and can upset the delicate balance of lifecycles
• Collect rainwater to water you...