urban trash

Because moving to the city brings you so much closer to your neighbors, it’s even more important to keep the yards and sidewalks clean. Below find tips on everything from trash pickup and recycling to composting.

   Trash pick-up day depends on the area in which you live. Different areas are assigned different colors (pink, ruby, gold, gray or navy). Specified collection days are either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Click here to find out either your color or your day. If you know your assigned color and would like to know your current collection day, you may use either the Monthly Collection Calendar or the annual Rotating Holiday Schedule, or call 645-(your color) ex. 645-NAVY

   If you are assigned a collection day, and it falls on one of these holidays, your collection day will rotate one day ONLY if it follows the holiday. You will return to your assigned day the following week.

Shared Apartment Dumpsters

• Do not block access to the dumpster with cars or other objects
• Do not place bulky items in the dumpster. See your resident manager or the property owner to make arrangements for disposal of these items
• Report damaged dumpsters to your resident manager or property owner so that your service is not interrupted. Damaged dumpsters cannot be emptied

   Even if you don’t live in an apartment complex or building, some neighbors will share large trash containers that are usually located in the alleyways behind the houses.

• Only put normal household trash in the container. Bag the trash to keep the container and the area around it clean
• Do not place large items in the container
• Do not move the container from its assigned location
• Do not block the container. Cars and other objects must be at least 10 feet from the container

   Other homeowners and renters will gain possession of an individual, rolling container (either 60- or 90-gallon) provided by the city. Even though these are for individual households, certain rules still apply.

• Yard waste cannot be thrown away with regular trash
• Please schedule a special collection for bulky items like furniture and appliances.
• Put your container at your designated collection point before 6 am
• Remove container from the collection point no more than 24 hours after collection and keep it in a safe place
• The arrow on the lid of 90-gallon containers must point toward the street The wheels and handle should face your home
• Keep the container 10 feet away from vehicles and 3 feet away from other obstructions such as mailboxes or fences

   General content rules apply for all of the above containers. Put only normal household trash in the container. Use trash bags to help keep your container clean. Do not put trash around the outside of the container. Only trash inside can be collected.

• All loose items must be placed inside boxes. Nothing in bags or personal trash cans
• All items are to be placed no farther than 3 feet from the curb
• All items need to be placed at least 3 feet from refuse-collection container
• Items need to be placed out no later than 6 a.m. on the scheduled collection day
• Items are not to be placed out before 6p.m. on the evening prior to your scheduled collection day
• If you are scheduling for bulk collection within an apartment complex, items need to be placed at the designated collection point for your apartment community.  If you are unsure of the exact location, please contact your leasing office or property manager
• If you are scheduling for bulk collection  in an area where you share a 300-gallon refuse container items are to be placed behind your property just inside the alley line
• Items resulting from an eviction or foreclosure will not be collected

Click here for online scheduling

   An unfortunate problem to have, on occasion there will be a need to remove a dead animal from the city roadway there are people you can call.

For removal of pets from private property, contact either Varment Guard (794-8169) or Critter Control (291-4400)

For the collection of dead animals on county roads or highways, contact the Franklin County Dept. of Highway Maintenance (462-3072).

• Drop-box program - Effective March 1, 2002, the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) administered the drop-off recycling program.  Public drop-off sites are located around Columbus at selected city fire stations, recreation centers and commercial locations.
• Curbside program - the City of Columbus has a partnership with Rumpke Waste of Ohio to provide weekly curbside collection of recyclables to any resident that subscribes to this convenient service for only $5 per month.  A recycling bin is provided for your personal use.  Paper products should be placed separately in the bin in a paper grocery (kraft) bag.  Curbside collection is the same day as your yard waste collection day.  To subscribe, call Rumpke at 800-828-8171.To find your current recycling day, click here.

• Newspaper with ad slicks
• Magazines
• Corrugated cardboard boxes
• Grocery (kraft) bags
• Telephone books
• “Junk” mail
• Paperboard packaging (aseptic cartons)

• Glass bottles and jars (clear and all colors)
• Aluminum cans, scrap
• Plastics #1 and #2 (soda, water bottles, milk jugs, etc.)
• Steel cans, aerosol cans, scrap
• Aseptic, gable top cartons (juice boxes, dairy cartons)

• Neighborhood Recycling Programs ~ Drop-off recycling programs are also available in two communities in the city. These collection programs are not restricted to residents of those communities.
• CURB of Clintonville
  Indianola Plaza - 3600 Indianola Ave.
  2nd & 4th Saturdays; 9 a.m. - Noon
• German Village
  Schiller Park -1069 Jaeger St.
  1st & 3rd Saturdays; 9 a.m. - Noon

• Yard Waste Collection program - Rumpke also provides weekly yard waste collection to all Columbus residences at no direct charge. To find your current yard waste collection day, click here.
• Home Composting - is another option for residents.  Information on controlling yard waste around the home is available within this site.

[composting facilities] ~ yard waste materials are accepted at the following SWACO/Kurtz Brothers facilities located in Central Ohio. Leaves, grass clippings, weeds, prunings, dead flowers and ash from burnt wood can be composted, not only to reduce yard waste, but to nourish landscaping. Composted materials provide important nutrients for soil and plants. There is no charge to the residents of Columbus. For more information, including hours of operation, please contact the facility at the phone numbers provided.

• 2850 Rohr Rd. (between Alum Creek Dr.& Hamilton Rd.) (614)491-0868
• 6055-C Westerville Rd. (corner of Dempsey Rd.)  (614)882-0200
• 4120 Roberts Rd. (Upper Arlington)  (614)876-6101

   The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) is one of 52 solid wast districts created by the Ohio General Assembly. Since 1989 the mission has been to reduce the reliance on landfills in our communities and focus practice of recycling and reuse. SWACO operates a 3300-ton-per-day landfill in Southern Franklin County. They also provide numerous drop locations for recyclable material as well as hazardous and non-recyclable products. SWACO partners with a variety of organizations and corporations to educate and practice the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

   Their website, SWACO.org, offers more information on how you can help to better our communities environment. They also offer information regarding how to dispose of and where to dispose a variety of materials.

To get more information on services provided by The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio please visit SWACO.org

If you have questions about whether an item is accepted in the recycling or yard waste programs, why an item isn’t accepted, or need to know more about recycling or composting, please contact The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio at (614)871-5100, or Rumpke at 800-828-8171 Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

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