Latest news with #SolidWasteAuthorityofCentralOhio
Axios
22-04-2025
- General
- Axios
Look inside our landfill — and learn how to reduce what goes there
We rarely think about it, but our trash doesn't go "away" when we throw it away. I recently visited the dump to see what happens to it firsthand. Why it matters: The Franklin County Sanitary Landfill near Grove City takes in 2 billion pounds of trash every year, per the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio. A 2019 study determined about 76% of that waste could have been diverted through recycling, composting or reuse. Threat level: At the current trash collection rate, there's enough landfill space to last 42 more years — but Central Ohio's population is booming, and more people means more trash. This is bad for the environment, as decomposing materials release harmful greenhouse gases (though some is captured and reused). We'd also have to eventually haul our trash farther away, costing both money and local jobs, senior landfill manager Adam Burleson told me. State of play: SWACO and local governments have been working to help residents and businesses divert more materials. As my tour truck climbed the massive hill leading to the landfill's working face, we were greeted with a symbol of how much work still needs to be done. Rows and rows of plastic grocery bags clung to a chain-link litter fence, which keeps drifting trash contained on windy days. All could have been recycled at a store. "There's just plastic everywhere you look," Burleson said. 💭 My thought bubble: It's hard to grasp the scope of the problem until you see it — a truck trailer tipping backwards, dumping literal tons of trash, as bulldozers shift and flatten it all. The dystopian dying planet from the Pixar movie "Wall-E" doesn't seem so far off. I immediately felt guilty. I'm a frequent recycler and thrift shopper, but I don't compost, and I slack on recycling items that aren't allowed in my curbside Columbus bin. Yes, but: There are broader signs of progress. Since making curbside recycling pickups weekly instead of biweekly in 2023, the city of Columbus has collected 25% more recyclable materials and reduced trash hauled, spokesperson Debbie Briner tells us. In 2024, SWACO's new Recycling Convenience Center diverted over 291,000 pounds of waste. The bottom line: Small changes can really add up. What's in the landfill Food waste and cardboard are the landfill's most common materials out of the 76% that could have been diverted, per SWACO's most recent data. Stunning stat: Nearly 1 million pounds of food waste arrives at the landfill every day. That's three-fourths a pound per person. The alternatives: Composting breaks down food scraps into nutrient-rich fertilizer, while cardboard is recyclable in curbside bins and at drop-off sites. What's next: SWACO plans to conduct its next waste characterization study later this year, spokesperson Hanna Greer-Brown tells Axios. Plus: The authority launched a new campaign today, Choose to Reuse — aimed at reducing household waste generated in the first place, which is even better for the environment than recycling. More ways to help It's easier than ever to recycle and reuse tricky items in Central Ohio, with new drop-off sites and programs launching in recent years. 🔋 SWACO's Recycling Convenience Center accepts items including plastic foam packaging, batteries, prescription pill bottles, appliances, bicycles, food scraps and much more. 10:30am–6pm Monday–Friday and 9am–4:30pm Saturday, 2566 Jackson Pike. 🪑 Columbus' Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers accept similar items, plus furniture, which goes to the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio, and clothing for Goodwill. 10am–6pm Tuesday–Saturday, 2100 Alum Creek Drive and 1550 Georgesville Road. 🥕 Seven free composting spots in Columbus are open 24-7. ♻️ A new program, Hefty ReNew, lets you recycle grocery bags and other hard-to-recycle plastics by placing them in a special orange bag that goes in your curbside bin.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Marquis Who's Who Honors Ryan A. Hatfield For Sustainable Solutions and Community Impact
UNIONDALE, NY / / April 15, 2025 / Marquis Who's Who has honored Ryan A. Hatfield for his sustainable solutions and community impact. Mr. Hatfield serves as one of the leaders of SBC Solutions Group, a commercial and industrial recycling company that has grown from a small family business to an industry leader. Building on his father's vision, Mr. Hatfield continues to drive innovation in sustainable recycling solutions. Born and Raised on a Farm Mr. Hatfield's family comes from a long line of farmers who originally purchased real estate in Ohio in 1831. He was born and raised on the family farm that has been in the Hatfield family for almost 200 years. Growing up, he learned the importance of hard work, honesty and integrity from his parents, Lynn and Betty Hatfield. "I'm not afraid to get dirty and run a machine if I need to teach a lesson or prove a point. We are farm boys, born and raised on a farm. We do what we have to do to get the job done. When you're a farmer, you start working when you're six. That's just the way it works," Mr. Hatfield explains. Though Mr. Hatfield's father, Lynn, had also been born and raised on the farm, he wanted more for his children. He encouraged them to pursue academic careers. In 1992, at the age of 50, his father left the farming business and started SBC Solutions Group in a barn in Centerburg, Ohio. The company became the new family business, with Mr. Hatfield serving as executive vice president. The entire family is involved with the business, including brothers Michael Hatfield and Randy Hatfield, and the business now has two facilities, one in Centerburg, Ohio, and one in Powder Springs, Georgia. The Evolving Recycling Business Originally, SBC Solutions Group shredded newspapers for animal bedding. Later, the decision was made to transition to commercial recycling and shift the focus of the company from recycling newspapers and other types of paper grades to plastics. In 2017, the company began offering additional services that allowed for more sustainable and environmental solutions for their customers. "There's a big push for manufacturers to use post-consumer recycled (PCR) material. There is a massive push in our industry for sustainability, circularity and closing the loop where you're recycling plastics and turning them back into plastics as opposed to using more oil and creating virgin plastics from oil," Mr. Hatfield explains. In recognition of SBC Solutions Group's success, Mr. Hatfield was invited to speak at a sustainability conference held by the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio. There were three speakers invited, two of whom were executives from multibillion-dollar Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Hatfield was the only speaker who was the owner of a privately held business. This allowed him to provide a completely different perspective from the other executives on the recycling and sustainability industry. "When you are an owner in a smaller, privately held company, you definitely are looking at things through a different lens." In 2025, Mr. Hatfield was honored for his advancements in recycling protocols with inclusion in Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes. Commitment to Community Mr. Hatfield enjoys working hard, but he is also dedicated to helping his community. As he looks toward the future, he intends to continue to make a positive impact on the world. He and his wife, Emily, both participate in their local church, and they have served in their church with their children, daughter Tristen and son Garrett. He has been involved with youth ministry since 2009. He coaches youth baseball and softball and he loves to teach and give people the tools they need to succeed, both on and off the field. "What makes me tick is my volunteer work, helping other people. That's what makes our family tick because all of us do that. We love to pack backpacks for kids in need. We love to feed the homeless and we do Toys for Tots… The greatest thing for me is being able to help somebody else out. That's what I really want to focus on more," Mr. Hatfield says. Mr. Hatfield hopes that when he retires one day, people will have been impacted in a positive way. "There is nothing better than being a small part of someone else's success story." About Marquis Who's Who®:Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms. Marquis Who's WhoUniondale, NY(844) 394 - 6946info@ SOURCE: Marquis Who's Who View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
