Each year, Franklin County is home to hundreds of events that draw thousands of visitors to our communities and neighborhoods, supporting our local businesses and economy. By offering the Event Waste Reduction Grant (EWRG), SWACO hopes to support central Ohio event organizers in implementing sustainable, environmentally conscious waste reduction and diversion activities, reducing the amount of material sent to the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill.
Purpose
The EWRG seeks to assist local event organizers with reducing event-generated waste and diverting as much material as possible from the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill. Event waste-reduction grants can also help event organizers build the infrastructure needed to sustain diversion efforts beyond the grant funding year.
This grant provides reimbursement funding for approved activities at events in SWACO's jurisdiction that increase waste reduction, reuse, recycling, food scrap composting, and food donation; and diversion-related outreach and education activities that increase public awareness of their importance.
Apply today!
Interested applicants, planning events, should contact Kristi Higginbotham, SWACO Programs Administrator at: [email protected] or 614-871-5100 before drafting an application to discuss the timeline and proposed activities.
SWACO staff is available to serve as a resource to:
- Provide advice and technical expertise.
- Help develop projects and services that align with the purpose of the EWRG.
- Provide recommendations to ensure proposed activities incorporate best practices to execute successful projects with maximized outcomes.
- Please visit our Newsletter page to sign up to receive updates on grant opportunities.
Project Eligibility
Funding is available for establishing, improving, or expanding waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, or food donation activities at events. All event organizers are eligible to apply. To be eligible for a grant award, events:
- Must occur within SWACO's jurisdiction (PDF) in central Ohio.
- Must be open to the public.
Application Timeline
- Applications will be accepted and evaluated on a rolling, case-by-case basis, year-round
- Applications must be submitted at least 8 weeks before the event date to allow sufficient time to review and process. Should funding be awarded, the execution of a grant agreement must occur before grant-approved purchases can be incurred.
Funding Requirements and Availability
- Applicants can apply for a minimum of $500.
- Applicants can apply for a maximum of $6,000.
- Recipients must provide a twenty percent (20%) cash contribution.
- If approved, no purchases can be made before the execution (both parties have signed) of a grant agreement.
Additional Resources for Events
Containers for Loan
SWACO offers containers for loan to help events within our jurisdiction effectively recycle and compost materials. Please visit the Event Container Loan webpage to learn more today!
Best Practice Guides for Waste Reduction and Diversion
- SWACO - Event Waste Reduction Best Practices Guide (PDF)
- SWACO - Best Practices Guide for Container Set Up (PDF).
- SWACO - pre-application and event waste reduction best practices webinar click here
- City of Columbus - Green Event Guide (PDF)
- OEPA - Zero Waste Special Event Planning Guide
Past Award Recipients
Since 2016, SWACO has funded 29 projects to local event organizers, totaling more than $82,000 and diverting more than 146,000 pounds of recyclable and compostable materials from the landfill!
We are proud to have provided grant funding and collaborated with the following events: Green Columbus Earth Day, Columbus CREW Rock on the Range, Greater Columbus Arts Council - Columbus Arts Festival, Dublin Irish Festival, Columbus Food Truck Festival, Dublin Arts Council BREAD Festival, Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival, Columbus Italian Festival, HighBall Halloween, Old Hilliard’s Halloween Haunt, The Ohio State University tailgate events, Greater Columbus Convention Center Women's Final Four event, Franklinton Farms, Columbus Coffee Festival, ComFest, Festival for Good, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Summer Festival, What? Music and Arts Fest, Final Third Foundation, Pelotonia, Jack Speakmon Memorial Regatta, the City of New Albany's Summer Concert series and Diwali Celebration, and Columbus Speech & Hearing's Halloween Hop!