City of Columbus

Columbus to Expand Residential Recycling to Eligible Condominium and Apartment Complexes in 2014

MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release 
December 9, 2013 

For More Information:

The City of Columbus will expand RecyColumbus, its residential recycling program, to residents at eligible condominium and apartment complexes, along with rowhouses and townhomes along city streets, beginning in February. Prior to the expansion, only residents living in single-family homes or in a building with four units or less that were not part of a complex were eligible for the residential recycling program.

“Residents in condo and apartment complexes have asked for the recycling program and we are delivering,” Mayor Michael B. Coleman said. “We will build on the overwhelming success of this program and make Columbus even cleaner and greener than before.”

Entire condominium and apartment complexes that currently use only 90- or 300-gallon trash containers serviced by the City of Columbus will be eligible for the expanded recycling program, along with attached townhomes along city streets. The properties must have enough room to store the 64-gallon recycling carts between biweekly recycling collections to be eligible. The expansion will add approximately 15,000 customers to the residential recycling program, bringing the total number of program customers to more than 200,000.

“Columbus residents are eager to do their part to improve the community, and this is the next step in creating a more sustainable future for our city,” said Councilmember Eileen Y.Paley, chair of the Public Service and Transportation Committee. “I encourage all eligible households to take part in the RecyColumbus program.”

The city will begin distributing the blue 64-gallon recycling carts to newly eligible residences beginning in February, with cart distribution to be completed by the end of March. Collection will begin immediately.

In cooperation with the city’s effort to expand the recycling program, the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio will make recycling available for up to 20 select apartment and condominium communities that are not eligible for home pickup of recycling.  Recycling drop-off containers will be provided to select communities in the north and northwest parts of the city to provide convenient access to recycling. SWACO will provide recycling to these communities in addition to their current drop-off locations already located throughout Franklin County.

Also beginning the week of March 3, 2014, the City of Columbus will begin collecting yard waste and recycling on the same day rather than on alternating weeks. The change will make the bi-weekly collections of recycling and yard waste more efficient and make it easier for residents to keep track of their collection day.  The collection day of the week will not change, but the week of collection may change.  For example, recycling collected on the first and third Monday of a month may move to the second and fourth Monday of a month.  Residents will be notified well in advance of the new collection schedule.

RecyColumbus customers can use a new Collection Day Reminder service widget to receive regular reminders about their trash, recycling and yard waste collection day. The tool lets residents choose a phone call, e-mail or calendar reminder about their collection schedule. To sign up for the free reminders, visit www.311.columbus.gov/colorday.

Apartment and condominium complexes that do not have 90- or 300-gallon trash collection service or have trash collection through a private company instead of the City of Columbus are not eligible for the residential recycling program.  Also, businesses are not eligible for the program.  For properties not eligible for residential recycling, the city encourages residents to drop off recyclables at one of the SWACO drop boxes. To find the closest drop box, visit www.swaco.org.

Since June 2012, residents have diverted more than 36,178 tons of materials from the landfill and saved taxpayers over $2,005,116 in landfill fees by participating in the RecyColumbus program.

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