Public survey: Central Ohioans support waste reduction, recycling

New research available from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), Grove City, Ohio, shows central Ohio residents support existing diversion goals, view recycling and composting as important in their community and desire more opportunities to reduce reliance on the county landfill.   

In February, SWACO partnered with Columbus-based EMC Research to conduct a survey of 1,300 Franklin County residents about attitudes and behaviors towards reducing waste and local recycling efforts. The survey found that 92 percent of residents reported that they believe recycling reflects well on their community and that cities and governments should be promoting recycling and composting. The survey also noted that 89 percent of residents support central Ohio’s efforts to reach 75 percent diversion by 2032, and an additional 82 percent believe that recycling and reducing waste can help reduce the impacts of climate change on their community.   

“Reducing waste, recycling and using our resources more efficiently have become part of the fabric of our community and these results affirm that residents value their ability to act sustainably,” says Kyle O’Keefe, director of Innovation and Programs for SWACO.   

Furthermore, 87 percent of residents find it convenient and easy to recycle, with 66 percent of households reporting that they make above-average efforts to do so. However, when asked about barriers to recycling, 74 percent of residents are confused about keeping track of what items are accepted for recycling.  

Franklin County’s residential recycling program has changed over the last couple of years, expanding to accept more materials and emphasizing education about the correct way to recycle. To help improve recycling confidence, SWACO has been working with local communities to deploy the Recycle Right, Make A Difference campaign which resulted in improvements in recycling behaviors.   

When asked about the specific issue of food waste the single largest source of material in the waste stream 83 percent of Central Ohioans are concerned about the amount of food being wasted and 78 percent support a curbside food waste collection program for composting.   

In recent years, SWACO has launched a collaborative food waste initiative to help combat food waste throughout the region which has led to the development of new services and programs such as publicly available drop-offs for food scraps and the launching of the Save More Than Food campaign. SWACO is currently working with regional communities to explore the development of a new composting infrastructure that would help to enhance food waste diversion efforts and enable curbside collection programs.   

The survey says residents also expressed a strong desire to see the private sector prioritize sustainability with 73 percent of residents reporting a greater likelihood to shop at businesses that use environmentally friendly products and recycle or compost their waste. Additionally, 78 percent of residents say they believe businesses should be required to offer recycling to customers and employees. An additional 80 percent desire to see recycling or composting efforts started or improved in their place of work or school.   

“Supporting the private sector to strengthen their waste reduction and diversion efforts remains one of the biggest opportunities for our region,” O’Keefe says. “More and more companies recognize that sustainability and reducing waste have to be a core part of their business, and we’re here to help them.”  

In the upcoming months, SWACO says it will be launching new programs and funding to help businesses establish best practices for recycling and waste reduction.    

While the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill, owned by SWACO, receives more than a million tons of material every year, 76 percent has the potential to be diverted. To learn more about these efforts, click here.  

Download a copy of the 2022 Public Opinion Poll Research results here.