Recycling

Recycling Downtown
What’s next for Downtown recycling
Tips for Living Green
Tips for Working Green
Resources
Contact Us

Going green is keen.

It seems like everyone is talking about “going green.” Not a day goes by without a green news story or a new green product coming onto the market. Google the words “go green” and more than six million search results come up. Clearly, we’re fast becoming a green-conscious society.

And with good reason.

Going green and managing our resources has a positive effect on everything from our health to the environment to climate change to our finances. The practice of “reduce, reuse and recycle” not only saves energy and keeps landfills clear, it turns what would otherwise become waste into valuable resources.

Of course, going green is especially important for Downtown Columbus as we work toward become America’s 21st Century City. Mayor Coleman’s “Green Memo,” which was issued in 2005, is the City’s plan for making Columbus the best — and greenest — place to live and work.

Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District is in the midst of creating an active, uniform recycling program for those who live, work and do business Downtown.

Together, we’ve made a great start. In fact, Downtown is already the greenest place in central Ohio in terms of land use, but we still have work to do.

From pursuing responsible, sustainable growth to providing environmental stewardship to improving recycling efforts and reducing solid waste, it’s time to Get Green Columbus.

Recycling Downtown

• Wanna recycle but don’t know where to take your stuff? Downtown has more than 25 nearby residential drop locations.
  • Find a drop location near you→
  • Get a list of recyclables→
• Got some “What do I do with this” kinds of items? Downtown has pick-up service and drop-off locations for non-hazardous items, such as appliances, fluorescent bulbs and printer cartridges.
  • Get disposal information→
• Need to know where to take flammables, toxics and corrosives? Downtown is conveniently located near the city’s Permanent Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) location.
  • Print location information and hours of service→

What’s next for Downtown recycling
Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, in partnership with SWACO, the City of Columbus, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Short North Business Association, is working on a recycling plan exclusively for Downtown and Short North property owners.

Here are some highlights of what will be happening in the coming months:

• Creating a consortium of property owners, including office buildings, restaurants, hotels and residential complexes that represent a wide variety of building types and waste generators
• Engaging of a waste management consulting firm to conduct waste audits, develop waste management plans and draft easy-to-use management plan templates
• Retaining legal services to negotiate contracts that will include:
  • Recycling services at no extra cost
  • No automatic yearly renewals
  • Quiet dumpsters
  • No pulls before 5 a.m.
  • Diversion of at least 25 percent of waste generated by these properties into the recycling stream by May 2009
  • Preferred haulers list for Downtown property owners

Udpates: Funding has been committed and a waste audit company has been selected.  Audits will be begin on pre-determined properties in September 2008.  For more information, please contact Jamie Bell at (614) 645-5256.

 Visit our blog and check back here regularly for progress updates on the Downtown recycling program.

Tips for Living Green

• Invest in a reusable shopping bag and take it with you to grocery and retail stores.
• Use eco-friendly cleaning products or make your own natural cleaning products (PDF).
• Since 90 percent of energy used in laundry and dishwashing comes from heating the water, wash in cold or warm water — never hot.
• Unsubscribe to catalogs that you regularly toss in the trash without reading.
• Buy a made-from-recycled plastics toothbrush that can be sent back, postage paid, for further recycling.
• Purchase reusable gift bags instead of wrapping paper.
• Shop at local farmers' markets for the freshest produce traveling the shortest distance.

Tips for Working Green

• Print documents double-sided or, better yet, only keep electronic files.
• Ditch the lunchroom disposables in favor of reusable plates and eating utensils.
• Buy a travel mug to fill up at the local coffee shop. Some coffee houses will give you a deal for bringing your own container.
• Reuse boxes and packing materials for storage, signage or moving.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator. It’s not only green-friendly, it’s heart-friendly.

Resources

• Make your own eco-friendly household cleaners (PDF).
• Report illegal dumping and littering through the Nail-a-Dumper Hotline, (614) 871-5322.
• Get everyone in on recycling by hosting a “Waste Less Meal” at your next event.

Contact Us

• SWACO
  (614) 871-5100
  Call for recycling questions, including drop-off locations and specialized recyclables.
• Capital Crossroads SID
  (614) 645-5256
  Contact Jamie Bell for more information about the Capital Crossroads SID recycling program.