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Jun 19, 2023

Food waste, scraps can be dropped off at three of five Columbus sites

The city of Columbus has opened three of the five planned food-waste composting drop-off locations announced by Mayor Andrew J. Ginther late last year, offering residents the option to deliver and

The city of Columbus has opened three of the five planned food-waste composting drop-off locations announced by Mayor Andrew J. Ginther late last year, offering residents the option to deliver and dispose of leftover or spoiled food free of charge, diverting from landfills.

The city plans to open the remaining two facilities sometime later this year.

“These drop-off facilities will make it more convenient for residents to sustainably dispose of and compost food waste,” Mayor Andrew J. Ginther said in a prepared statement this week. “This new city service strengthens our continued efforts to provide disposal options that advance our commitment to reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions for a healthier, cleaner climate for all Columbus residents.”

The three newly operating sites are located at:

The other two new Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers are planned to open later this year at the city Division of Refuse Collection's Alum Creek Transfer Station, 2100 Alum Creek Drive, and the Georgesville Road Transfer Station, 1550 Georgesville Road. In addition to food waste, those will accept dropped-off garbage, bulk items, recyclables, yard waste, and other trash that is hard to manage.

Food waste such as fruits, vegetables, grains and pasta; eggs, eggshells and dairy; cooked and raw meat, bones and seafood; coffee grounds; and soiled non-coated napkins and paper may be disposed of in residents’ household buckets and taken to the drop-off sites.

In November, in announcing the city's 2023 operating budget, Ginther included more than $2.1 million to reduce illegal dumping by expanding refuse collection to include hot-spot inspections; opening convenience centers for residents to properly dispose of hard-to-recycle items, food and yard waste, hazardous waste and bulk items; and hiring more drivers for refuse trucks.

The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) is attempting to divert as much waste as possible out of its landfill south of Columbus, including cutting in half by 2030 the amount of food waste that gets dumped in the landfill.

"Our food-waste initiative had partners from essentially every sector of the community — school leaders, restaurant owners, local grocers and local governments," SWACO communications manager Hanna Greer-Brown told The Dispatch earlier this year.

The city's new facilities aim to help decrease nearly 1 million pounds of food waste from being dumped every day at the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill, located just off I-71 at 3851 London Groveport Road.

The city’s Climate Action Plan includes a goal to reduce by 90% the amount of organic waste, specifically food waste, being dumped at the county landfill by 2050.

The drop-off sites are identified by signage at the three Recreation and Parks locations. Columbus residents may use them seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The facilities will be serviced weekly, and the food waste will be hauled by Compost Clubhouse to a composting facility in London, Ohio, to divert it from the landfill.

“Data and other information we collect on usage will help to guide how we deliver more food waste and composting options to residents in the future," said city Public Service Director Jennifer L. Gallagher in a written statement.

SWACO will support the program financially, and “when coupled with waste prevention education, infrastructure like food waste drop-off sites help households save money, conserve natural resources and ultimately help to protect the life of the landfill,” Joe Lombardi, SWACO’s executive director, said in a written statement.

The first 300 Columbus residents who register for the pilot program qualify for a complimentary household bucket to collect and transport their food scraps to one of the drop-off sites.

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