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 reached a record 49.17 percent. That means people and businesses in the region are recycling almost half of the waste they produce.
Recycling benefits more than just the environment, however. With roughly 372 businesses that generate $1.3 billion in revenue and employ more than 5,000 people, the recycling industry also supports Central Ohio’s economy.
This is just one of many interesting pieces of information contained in the Community Impact Report, which SWACO publishes annually to illustrate the impact it had on Central Ohio the previous year. “As a solid waste authority, SWACO has a primary goal of helping communities in Central Ohio increase their recycling and reduce their reliance on the landfill,” said Ty Marsh, executive director of SWACO. “We have several programs, services and initiatives aimed at diverting waste from the landfill, and we’re proud of the difference they are making in our community.”
The report covers SWACO’s activities in 2018, including the launch of “Recycle Right,” a community education campaign that uses paid advertising and direct mail to reach Franklin County residents with information about the right way to recycle. The report also covers the Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative, SWACO’s efforts to help schools reduce food waste, the construction of a new cell at the landfill and much more.
For the first time, SWACO published the report in a digital format rather than a printed piece. The digital version uses fewer resources to produce, allows SWACO to present more information in an easy-to-read format, and ensures it won’t end up in the landfill when people are done reading it.