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Food Waste Drop-Off
Pilot Program
Nearly 1 million pounds of food waste goes to the Franklin County
landfill every single day.
Food waste in the landfill generates potent methane gas — a powerful greenhouse
gas that is a major contributor to climate change. Waste diversion is the most
efficient way to reduce the amount of emissions generated by landfills, and to
reduce demand for landfill space.
Reducing organic waste, specifically food waste, from entering the
landfill is a major goal of the Columbus Climate Action Plan. The plan sets
ambitious goas to achieve a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
and carbon neutrality by 2050.
To help reach these goals and make it convenient for residents to
compost food scraps, the city is launching a Food Waste Drop-Off Pilot Program with the help of a Community Waste
Reduction Grant from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO).
How to
Participate
300 Columbus residents received a complimentary bucket to collect and transport your
household food waste. If you missed out on a complimentary bucket, you may still
participate using your own bucket to collect and drop off your food waste.
Buckets may be dumped at any time at the city’s pilot food waste
drop-off locations. An organics hauler will operate the program and maintain
the disposal and collection carts.
The food scraps drop-off collection sites for Columbus
residents’ use are located at:
- Bill McDonald Athletic
Complex, 4990 Olentangy River Rd., 43214
- Dodge Park and Community
Center, 667 Sullivant Ave., 43215
- Scioto Southland Park,
3901 Parsons Ave., 43207
Register here to participate and
receive program updates, helpful tips, and more.
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- Fruits, vegetables, grains, beans
- Pasta, baked goods
- Coffee grounds, tea (no plastic tea bags)
- Eggs, eggshells, dairy
- Cooked meat, raw meat, bones, seafood, and
shellfish in small quantities
- Small amounts of oil or grease
- Soiled non-coated paper/fiber products
(napkins, paper)
- ONLY “BPI certified compostable” plastic
products (bin liners/bags, cutlery, containers)
NO
BPI certification = NOT COMPOSTABLE Look
for the BPI logo on products.
Watch this video on why only
BPI plastics are accepted.
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- Non-BPI plastics (cups, cutlery, packaging,
etc.)
- Non-compostable packaging with metal, coated
paper/fiber products
- Human or pet waste
- Electronics
- Styrofoam
- Personal health care products and
pharmaceuticals
- Rocks, stone and glass
IF YOU
ARE IN DOUBT ABOUT AN ITEM, DON’T PUT IT IN YOUR BUCKET FOR DROP-OFF.
What is composting?
Composting is a natural process of recycling organic materials, such
as food scraps and yard waste, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. It helps
reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. The 2019
Waste Characterization Study in Central Ohio found that food scraps are the
largest single materials we throw away. The City of Columbus would rather see
these nutrients be composted and returned to the soil.
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Visit SWACO’s Save More Than Food program website for tips and resources to help you reduce food waste at home, work, and school. Get access to rebates for composting equipment, learn how to tell if your food has spoiled and how to keep food good for longer.
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Columbus is requesting $400,000 from the
USDA’s Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot project program to
support a two-year, curb-side food-waste collection pilot project.
This
funding will help Columbus build out its organic waste diversion infrastructure
and education programs. In particular, this funding will provide Columbus
residents an opportunity to participate in a curbside food waste collection
subscription pilot program.
If funding is approved, this pilot program
would provide curbside collection for up to 10,000 households, and it will help
determine the feasibility and sustainability of expanded and/or citywide
curbside food waste collection.
Grant Application Materials