WastED - A Waste and Recycling Podcast by SWACO

Your summer can be full of pool days, cookouts, and road trips without turning into a season of extra trash and extra clutter.   Hanna and Joe talk us through realistic sustainable summer tips that work for busy families, hosts, and anyone trying to reduce waste without giving up the fun. Along the way, we share a few favorite local experiences that make great gifts and even better memories, from...

Seventy-six percent of what we bury in the landfill could have been reused, recycled, or composted and that single number changes how you look at “trash.”  Hanna and Joe sit down with Jonathan McCracken, SWACO’s Director of Sustainability and Operations, to unpack Greenprint, our roadmap for building a stronger, more convenient, more practical waste reduction system. We talk through the real-world...

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...

Central Ohio is packed with cranes right now, but what happens to all the materials when roads get milled and buildings get renovated?  Joe and Hanna dig into the part of construction most people never see: the waste stream, the hidden costs of landfilling, and the practical steps that make recycling real on busy job sites. We’re also celebrating SWACO breaking ground on a new education center and...

College costs keep climbing, but the need for skilled environmental leaders has never been more urgent. Hanna and Joe welcomed Kaylee Oiler, the SWACO contract administrator who oversees our scholarship program, to unpack how we help launch real careers in sustainability, engineering, policy, and solid waste management.  From the eligibility basics to the essay that seals the deal, we break down w...

The gift of giving doesn’t have to end when the holidays are over. What if your old sofa could be the reason a family sleeps better, studies at a real table, and finally feels at home? We sit down with Brody Olson of Two Men And A Junk Truck and Phil Washburn of the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio to share how a simple reroute—from landfill to living room—creates outsized impact across Central Ohio...

The final show of the year brings the whole journey into focus: a million pounds of food headed to the landfill each day, plastics evolving from confusion to circular products, and a community that keeps asking sharper questions about what belongs in the bin.   Joe and Hanna revisit our most-played episodes:  food waste work with local partners, a behind-the-scenes tour at Columbus Zoo, and transf...

A national spotlight landed in Columbus, and we were ready for it. Hosting a major recycling and waste management conference downtown gave us the perfect backdrop to show how practical changes—like weekly curbside recycling, free convenience centers, and expanded food scrap drop-offs—are helping residents waste less while strengthening our local economy. Hanna and Joe sit down with Mayor Andrew Gi...

What if a city made recycling the easiest option everywhere you go—at school, at the park, at festivals, and even at your desk? We sat down with Reynoldsburg Mayor Joe Begeny to trace a practical roadmap to less waste and more reuse, powered by clear rules, smart SWACO grants, and community pride. The story begins in classrooms, where the Slate Ridge Elementary green team turned sorting into secon...

What happens when a rapidly growing region adds 700,000 new residents in just 25 years? That's the question at the heart of this fascinating conversation with the leadership of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), the organization helping Central Ohio prepare for this growth through 2050.   Here at SWACO, we're planning for it too! Executive Director William Murdock shares...

Sustainability in the classroom isn't just about recycling bins—it's about shaping the environmental leaders of tomorrow. As students and educators head back to school this August, we're diving into powerful ways schools can reduce waste while teaching lifelong environmental stewardship. Our special guest Danna Lotz, SWACO's School Programs Administrator and former classroom te...

Meet Joseph Klatt, the innovative founder of Marble Plastics who's turning trash into treasure right here in Central Ohio. As we mark Plastic Free July, this eye-opening conversation reveals how discarded plastics can be transformed into stunning countertops, furniture, and building materials that rival traditional options like Corian or natural marble. What sets Marble Plastics apart is thei...

Stepping behind the scenes at the world-famous Columbus Zoo and Aquarium reveals an extraordinary commitment to sustainability that extends far beyond animal care. In this enlightening conversation with Tom Schmid, President and CEO, and Kristeena Blaser, Director of Sustainability, we discover how this beloved institution manages its massive ecological footprint while working to save wildlife acr...

A million pounds of food waste enters Central Ohio's landfill every single day. Let that sink in. Beyond the environmental impact, this waste represents a staggering economic drain - the average family of four tosses away $2,000 worth of uneaten food annually. When Joe and Hanna sat down with Sara Gallaugher, SWACO's Food Waste Program Administrator, we knew we needed to address the hidd...

Sustainability isn't just good for the planet—it's good for our economy too. Step into the world of Central Ohio's circular economy champions who prove that small changes create meaningful impact for both our environment and community. Meet Sam White, founder of Rewash Refillery, whose pandemic pivot transformed an LA-inspired mobile refill concept into a thriving brick-and-mortar b...

Tackling that overflowing garage or cluttered attic this season? Before you start filling trash bags, SWACO's latest podcast episode delivers an eye-opening guide to spring cleaning the right way. Executive Director Joe Lombardi and Communications Director Hanna Greer-Brown welcome Education Specialist Kim Chapman and Outreach Administrator Amy Densborn to share lesser-known disposal options...

Many firsts are credited to White Castle:  the first fast food hamburger chain in the world (1921), the first to introduce carry-out (1920's) and the first to advertise in the newspaper offering coupons for $.10 sliders back in the 1930's.    Along the way, White Castle has been part of momentous mentions in music by bands like the Beastie Boys and found even more dedicated fans from the...

Fashion designers and textile manufacturers are choosing Columbus and central Ohio as home. In fact, more designers live in Columbus than virtually any other city in the U.S. Only New York and L.A. have more! Brands like IKEA rely on central Ohioans at Fluvitex to make every synthetic fiber pillow and comforter sold in every store in America! It’s common for production processes to generate some w...

‘Tis the season to be merry and green!   During our episode 4 conversation, an expert from the Toy Association shares how nearly half of parents shopping for gifts this holiday season are interested in purchasing more sustainable toys and SWACO explores the lengths toy manufacturers like Mattel, Lego and Fisher-Price are going to – even trying out cocoa beans -- to create the products consumers wa...

It's a term you'll hear more about especially from those of us in recycle and reuse communities -- the circular economy.    Love that crisp refreshing Coca-Cola or Diet Coke but still wonder where that recycled plastic bottle or aluminum can ends up?   To put it simply, it ends up back on your store shelf and in some cases, in just a matter of weeks.   November is National Recycling Mont...

Here at SWACO, we're all about partnerships and learning from our neighbors new ways to recycle and reuse.  So, this month is the perfect time to meet our friends at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.  Did you know we're home to THE largest Ronald McDonald house in the world? In fact, our local house just completed a big renovation which cements their worldwide status.  Joi...

Did you know the vast, vast majority of cans and bottles discarded at an Ohio State Buckeyes home football game never end up in landfill?   And that's a great thing!   Ohio Stadium is doing many dynamic things on game day that keep fans dialed into the X's and O's while keeping their composting and recycling efforts scoring big too!    But it's not just football season.  The Gr...