Scott Stewart has been known around the community in a variety of roles will take on a new one as operations manager for the Floyd County Solid Waste District. He wears many hats in Floyd County, from board member for the New Albany-Floyd County Building Authority to CASA Floyd County board member to representing the Floyd County Commissioners on the Economic Development Council at One Southern Indiana. Now Stewart is ready to take on a leadership role in another topic he is passionate about: sustainability. “I’ve long been passionate for the environment, sustainability in particular and so that is something that appeals to me,” he said.
Stewart is taking over as operations manager since the previous manager, Mary Lou Byerly, retired. Floyd County Commissioner John Schellenberger, a member of the solid waste board of directors, praised Byerly for her efforts transforming the county’s recycling center at 6954 Highway 150 Galena. He also commended her for always providing an extra set of hands in the field when necessary.
When the solid waste board hired Stewart for the position, one of the main tasks for him was to increase the rate of recycling in the county. Stewart understands the value in recycling when looking at the entire supply chain, noting that it results in less materials being extracted from the earth and also conserves natural resources. While changing the impact on the planet can seem like a big goal, the efforts for it start small. “While recycling is a small part of that effort, it’s a significant part of the effort, and it’s something that we all can do starting at home,” Stewart said.