Earth Day is a lot more than a feel-good day when you remember one uncomfortable fact: our trash moves. What starts as litter on a Columbus street or a bottle in a storm drain can end up far downstream, as in the Gulf of Mexico! That’s why the choices we make at home matter at a city scale. For Earth Month, we sit down with City of Columbus leaders Kelly Scocco and Tim Swauger to talk about what “Our Power, Our Planet” looks like when you’re responsible for real-world waste, recycling, and neighborhood cleanliness.

Hanna and Joe dig into the practical side of waste reduction and why the best recycling program starts before you ever open the cart. You’ll hear how Columbus pushes reduce and reuse efforts first and how consistent rules across our region make participation easier. We also talk honestly about population growth, the pressure it puts on collection systems, and why protecting landfill capacity is a long-term sustainability issue, not just a budgeting problem.

Then we get into the exciting news: SWACO and the city have partnered to open Franklin County’s only class two composting facility. This creates a local home for food waste drop-off and a tangible circular economy win as organics become usable compost in about a month.

We also spotlight Keep Columbus Beautiful, the year-round initiative organizing cleanups, school outreach, and diversion efforts that help residents take action every day.

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