The Columbus Department of Public Service provides a variety of essential services that maintain & improve the traveling safety & quality of life for Columbus residents, and supports the growth & economic development of the City.
Maintaining & Improving Roads
The Department of Public Service maintains more than 5,000 miles of roadways & 217 bridges, undertaking roadway improvements, maintaining street signs & traffic signals, enforcing on-street parking, plowing snow, designing & installing traffic calming measures that make neighborhoods safer for pedestrians & bicyclists, and overseeing the construction of wheelchair curb ramps.
Collecting Refuse & Yard Waste, Recyclables, & Litter
It also collects refuse from more than 340,000 households every week and, through a contract with Rumpke, collects yard waste & residential recyclable material from more than 200,000 single-family households and eligible condominium & apartment complexes. And it manages Keep Columbus Beautiful, which conducts litter cleanups and promotes recycling & community beautification.
Aryeh Alex is the Sustainability Manager for the Department of Public Service. He coordinates waste reduction, residential recycling, & composting efforts, while also serving as the Executive Director of Keep Columbus Beautiful.
Franklin County Metroparks
Mr. Alex will be speaking at a meeting of Simply Living’s Bioregional Study Group this Thursday, July 16th at 6 pm at the Columbus Public Library’s Whetstone Branch, 3909 North Hight Street, Columbus, Ohio 43214. He will discuss sustainability and provide an overview of the City of Columbus food waste reduction efforts. The event is free and open to everyone. Please REGISTER HERE soon!
Food Waste
Nearly 1 million pounds of food waste goes to the Franklin County landfill every single day. Food waste in the landfill generates methane, 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 the amount of food waste entering the landfill is a major goal of the Columbus Climate Action Plan. The plan sets the ambitious goal to achieve a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050.
Composting is a natural process of recycling organic materials, such as food scraps & yard waste, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. It helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. SWACO’s 2019 Waste Characterization Study found that food scraps are the largest single material that gets thrown away. These materials should be composted and returned to the soil.
Food Scraps Drop-Off Program
The seven free food scraps drop-off collection sites are accessible 24 hours a day, located at the Bill McDonald Athletic Complex, the Dodge Park & Community Center, the Scioto Southland Park, the Beatty Park Community Recreation Center, the Northeast Park & Howard Recreation Center, the Linden Park Community Center, and the Carriage Place Park Community Center.
Both Columbus Waste & Reuse Convenience Centers also accept food scraps. They are located at 2100 Alum Creek Drive and 1550 Georgesville Road and are open Tuesday-Saturday between 9 am and 5 pm. There are also additional free food scraps drop-off locations operated by SWACO, for which further information can be found at Save More Than Food.
What Can Be Dropped Off?
These items are acceptable for food waste collection & composting: fruits & vegetables, grains & beans; pasta & baked goods; coffee grounds & tea (no plastic tea bags); eggs, eggshells, & dairy; cooked meat, raw meat, bones, seafood, & shellfish in small quantities; small amounts of kitchen oil or grease; soiled non-coated paper/fiber products (napkins, paper); and BPI certified compostable plastic products (bin liners/bags, cutlery, containers). Note: No BPI certification means not compostable means not acceptable for drop off.
What Cannot Be Dropped Off?
These items are not acceptable for food waste collection & composting: non-BPI plastics (cups, cutlery, packaging); non-compostable packaging with metal, coated paper/fiber products; human or pet waste; electronics; Styrofoam; personal health care products & pharmaceuticals; and rocks, stone, & glass. If there is any doubt, leave it out of your drop-off bucket!
