The challenges of recycling in multifamily dwellings were among the issues discussed last week at a Sustainable Columbus external advisory committee meeting. Sustainable Columbus is a group of city officials, working with outside input, who have identified 17 environmental goals to meet by 2020, including increasing the amount of recyclable materials by the city by 5 percent.
“Multifamily does not recycle across the city consistently. You just don’t see it,” said Timothy Swauger, administrator for the Division of Refuse Collection for the Columbus Department of Public Service. Apartments are in sharp contrast to single-family homes, where the city offers about 201,000 homes the opportunity to recycle, he said.
City goals target transportation, illegal dumping, reducing food waste, increasing energy audits for homes, adding financing programs for renewable energy, increasing the tree canopy throughout the city and adding more parks.
Environmental advocates were among those who looked at each of the goals outlined on poster boards around a room at the Franklin Park Conservatory, where the advisory committee meeting was held. Post-it notes were added to the posters making suggestions, critiques or ideas about how outside organizations can help.
On the recycling poster, one person posted the idea of banning plastic bags or charging a fee for their use. Another person followed up with concerns that it would lead to more illegal dumping. “The goal is to leverage the community, find the areas where our community groups want to work with us on high-priority actions,” said Alana Shockey, assistant director of sustainability for the city. “We want to make sure there aren’t holes in our plans. We want to proactively identify challenges. Inside the city, we do not always know what the challenge is going to be at the resident/community organization level.”