News from SWACO

TheSolid Waste Authority of Central Ohio

John Remy, Director of Communications 614-871-5100 or

Nationwide Children’s Hospital
The Ohio State University
Receive SWACO Green Honors

Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University have received the top awards at SWACO’s Central Ohio EMERALDS. The presentation took place at the awards luncheon May 17th at the Ohio Union on The Ohio State University campus. The premiere green awards program in Ohio annually recognizes green leaders in Franklin County with honors in the categories of Leadership, Small Businesses/Non-profit/Institution, Large Businesses/Non-profit/Institution, Good Neighbor, Environmental Education, Young & Green (high school students), and Community of the Year.

“Each of our honorees has a great green story to tell,” says SWACO Executive Director Ron Mills. “We have learned that the best way to educate people and businesses toward a culture of recycling, waste reduction, and reuse is to show them how going green can fit in with everyday lifestyles. I believe the stories our EMERALDrecipientshave to share will act as catalyststhat demonstrate what it takes to make a difference when it comes to contributing to our quality of life on this planet. We, and they, are convinced that what we are doing is both important and inspiring. It is for this reason that SWACO establishedthe EMERALDS. It is a way to honor such ideas and accomplishments and to encourage those contributors to continue to teach, inspire, and lead all of us.”

Receiving the Chairman’s Honoris The Ohio State University. From the school’s headlinersilver LEED-Certified Ohio Union to this fall’s move to turning Ohio Stadium into a “zero-waste” stadium, Ohio State is on the march toward a greener future. Green construction of the new Ohio Union began with the recycling and reuse of much of the old Union. Today the new Ohio Union has incorporated features like a food pulper to reduce and recycle organic wastes, bicycle storage that encourages alternative forms of transportation, water efficient landscaping, and virtual bulletin boards.

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Across campus this football season, fans will see a major change at the “Horseshoe.” In a drive to score green, programs will be implemented to make Ohio Stadium the largest “Zero-Waste Stadium.” Recycling and compost bins will be conveniently located throughout the facility with a goal to divert 90% from landfills by the end of the 2012 season.

Nationwide Children’s Hospitalhas been presentedtheBoard of Trustees Honor. In the last five years, patient visits have increased by 55%. To meet growing needs, the hospital started new construction that will eventually increase the capacity by more than 30%. It was estimated the expansion would have created an additional 14% more waste. But with SWACO waste audits, employee involvement, and advanced planning, Nationwide Children’s has cut that increase in waste to just 2.5%.

But the Hospital’s commitment to the green side hasn’t stopped there. As new construction is implemented, recycling containers have been built into every patient’s room. Through hard work and foresight Nationwide Children’s can now report 36% of the facility’s waste is recycled. The hospital is now moving toward organics recycling and SWACO believes the example set by Nationwide Children’s can be replicated at other Central Ohio hospitals.

The EMERALD for Leadershiphas been presented to Kurtz Brothersof Central Ohio. The longtime organics recycler has recently startedan Ohio EPA lauded organics-to-green energy digester operation on the southside of Columbus that will produce enough electricity to power one thousand Columbus area homes.

A company-wide challenge to reuse and redistribute resources wherever possible has helped Abercrombie & Fitchachieve the EMERALD for Large Business. The New Albany based retailer increased the company’s annual recycling rate by20% in 2010. Abercrombie & Fitch also sponsors sample sales andan online clearing house that encourages employees to reuse and reduce waste.

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Strong recycling and composting efforts by PattyCake Bakery has earned the Clintonville baker the EMERALD for Small Business. Those green initiatives reduce PattyCake’s throwaways to just one household trash can per week. The baker reuses cardboard beer boxes to pack orders,affixes company labels with all-natural glue, and delivers orders via bicycle.

A waste diversion and recycling rate of almost 40% earned the City of Gahannathe EMERALD for Community of the Year. At City Hall, Gahanna’s desk side recycling program alone recycled 75 tons in 2010. The Parks Department reuses old street lamp posts in new construction projects. Advanced Metering Infrastructure enabledGahanna to detect water leaks that when repairedsaved the City 1.4-million gallons of water.

Otterbein University has received the EMERALD for Environmental Education. Along with many campus-wide green efforts, the Westerville school plans to offer degree programs in sustainability starting this fall. Those programs will specialize in alternative energy.

Students of the Linden McKinley Stem Academy are this year’s EMERALDwinner in the Young and Green Category. The group of 160 seventh grade students utilized their science, English, social studies, and math classes to reduce the school’s environmental footprintand implement changes that enhanced recycling and explored ways to reduce the school’s food waste.

Citizens that make up the Sustainable Worthington Pre-Cycle Committee have received the Good Neighbor EMERALD. The group fought waste at the street level by creating a curbside household to household event that invited residents to place their unwanted but still useable items in their front yards for reuse by neighbors.

The Central Ohio EMERALDS are presented by SWACO, The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio. SWACO serves Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio with creative waste reduction and recycling projects. We believe today’s throwaways are the foundation for tomorrow. In doing so, we act as a catalyst to bring about those innovative waste reduction and recycling programs.

SWACO is The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio

4239 London Groveport Road, Grove CityOH. 43123

phone 614-871-5100 fax 614-871-5103 on line @