COLUMBUS, Ohio — SWACO is announcing a new way you can help keep your recycling out of landfills to celebrate Earth Day. This can be done at the company's new Recycling Convenience Center.
The center is open to residents of Franklin County and initially opened in November 2023.
"We've had nearly 400 people come to this facility in the first four months and we've diverted 45,000 pounds of material from the landfill," Communications Director Hanna Greer-Brown said.
For Earth Day, the list of materials that can be accepted at the center is expanding. It now includes large computer monitors, and more household hazardous waste, such as oil-based spray paints and latex-based paints.
"We look forward to continuing to add accepted materials and meeting the community's desire to reduce their reliance on the landfill," Greer-Brown said.
The drive-up and self-service center also accept common items like cardboard, cans and plastic, as well as special items such as oil, Styrofoam, batteries, and
"What we know is the vast majority that comes to the landfill, over 76% really could have been reused, recycled, or composted. So this Earth Day, we're inviting people to really step up their recycling game," Greer-Brown said.
The Recycling Convenience is located at 2566 Jackson Pike and is open to Franklin County residents Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It is also open on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
"Look for ways to divert more materials from the landfill and facilities like this recycling convenience center make it even easier and more convenient to be able to do that," Greer-Brown said.
"The most recent information we have on hand from 2022 shows our community now recycles more than it throws away. Our recycling rate is at 54%, that's higher than the national average."
Greer-Brown said even though this information is exciting to hear, employees at SWACO know that we still have lots of material coming to the landfill that could have been diverted and recycled.