WastED - A Waste and Recycling Podcast by SWACO

Hanna Greer-Brown

WastED is a waste and recycling education podcast from SWACO. Hosted monthly by Joe Lombardi and Hanna Greer-Brown, our guests offer insights into regional efforts helping to push sustainability forward as well as sharing their perspective on the next big GREEN thing for central Ohio. Between a few laughs plus genuine and substantive conversation, each episode features takeaways about proper disposal that will have listeners recycling right in no time. Find us on Spotify, Apple Music or wherever you listen!

  1. 3d ago

    New Food Scrap Options Bring Composting to Downtown Columbus

    Downtown Columbus in the summer is festive, fun and full of options and that’s exactly when waste piles up fastest.   Joe and Hanna sit down with Ashley Myers, Director of Columbus Commons, to talk about what it takes to run a park that hosts 250-plus events yearly and still finds ways to make sustainability feel easy instead of preachy. From Picnic with the Pops to big concert nights, we get into how great experiences and smart waste diversion can live side by side. Plus, we have BIG news! The first downtown Columbus food scrap drop-off program is launching at Columbus Commons with four MetroSTOR smart bins. These compost drop-off units use sensor technology to signal when they’re full, collect data to measure impact, and use app access to keep it all clean. It’s free to use, built for downtown residents and visitors, and designed to make composting in Columbus more accessible than ever. We also dig into the practical stuff that actually changes behavior: bin placement near food and having staff ready at events to answer the most common question, “Can I put this in here?”   Joe and Hanna also share what they learned from last year’s composting pilot at a major show and what SWACO is improving next. If you care about recycling, composting, food waste reduction, and making public spaces greener without making life harder, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves downtown events, and leave a review so more people can find WastED.

  2. Jun 26

    SWACO's Sustainable Summer: Less Stuff and More Fun

    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 museums to escape rooms to kayaking. They're joined by Amy Densborn, SWACO Program Manager, and Leah Cordier, SWACO Communications Administrator, to swap practical ideas you can use right away. Think: packing a low-waste beach bag with a reusable water bottle and reusable snack containers and finding refilleries for personal care items like sunscreen.  Plus, grilling with less waste using tools like reusable grill baskets and cedar planks instead of aluminum foil. We also answer a common summer question: what to do with empty propane tanks, including exchange programs and when it makes sense to bring a tank to SWACO’s Household Hazardous Waste site for recycling. Then we get into one of the biggest wins of the season: reducing food waste. We share simple leftover rules for hot weather, freezer strategies, and planning tips for everything from a family cookout to a big party. You’ll also hear about SWACO’s free resources like our Sign Maker Tool and an 'estimator' to help you buy the right amount of food. If you like practical sustainability, recycling, composting, and smart local living, this one’s for you. Subscribe to WastED, share with a friend who hosts cookouts, and share your best summer sustainable fun!

  3. May 22

    SWACO's Greenprint Initiative and The Future of Waste, Recycling and Composting

    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 problem first: landfill tonnage stays relatively flat while the region grows, and more than a million tons of material still head to the landfill each year. From there, we get specific about solutions, starting with the new Class II composting facility at the City of Columbus convenience center on Alum Creek Road. Jonathan explains how an in-vessel composting unit processes food scraps and how the eventual compost supports community gardens. Partnerships show up everywhere, from expanding recycling convenience centers with municipalities like Worthington to making it easier to drop off the hard stuff like batteries, styrofoam, and electronics. We also share updates on pilot programs to reshape landfill diversion, including a textile and clothing recycling effort that recovered 26,000 pounds of clothing!  Along the way, Jonathan connects his lessons from Capitol Hill and USDA rural development work to local sustainability and the circular economy. If you care about composting, recycling, waste reduction, and practical sustainability in Franklin County and beyond, hit play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

  4. May 1

    Earth Day Is Every Day.  How SWACO and Columbus Partner For A Sustainable Tomorrow

    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. Don't forget to subscribe and share this with a friend who wants to live more sustainably, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

  5. Mar 27

    How Central Ohio Construction Is Cutting Waste For A More Sustainable Future

    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 administrative office building designed to be sustainability-forward, LEED-aligned, and net zero energy. From geothermal and solar to a mass timber structure and strong waste diversion goals, the project is built to “walk the walk” and to teach. The new space will welcome thousands of students and community members with interactive learning on composting, recycling, engineered landfills, the circular economy, and green jobs. Ryan Smith from RAP Management joins us to explain why recycled asphalt product (RAP) is both a huge opportunity and a huge challenge. Ryan shares how European technology, brought from Switzerland, can increase recycled content while delivering high-quality asphalt, plus some jaw-dropping scale of diversion numbers! Josh Lloyd from Turner Construction Company walks us through sustainable construction and demolition recycling in the real world: choosing haulers who recycle, keeping loads clean to avoid contamination, and using LEED as a common language for healthier materials and better procurement. He also shares an inspiring job-site food rescue effort that has already diverted over 13,000 pounds of food to families in need. If you care about sustainable construction, recycled asphalt, LEED certification, or reducing construction waste in Central Ohio, you’ll get clear examples you can point to and ideas worth pushing.   Subscribe, share this with a builder or planner in your life, and leave us a review with your biggest question about cutting waste on job sites.

  6. Feb 27

    How the SWACO Scholarship Program Lowers College Costs And Builds Careers

    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 what matters most and why these awards are designed to drive impact you can see. We walk through the essentials: who can apply, accepted degree paths, and the timeline for the application window and scholarship announcements. Kaylee explains how our eight-person review committee evaluates passion, purpose, and a clear plan to serve communities—especially through projects that improve recycling, expand composting, or modernize landfill operations.  Along the way, we talk about the bigger picture: how SWACO’s decades of student engagement—from classroom visits to landfill education—feed a growing pipeline of talent. Universities now offer far more options in environmental science, environmental engineering, public policy, and circular economy fields, creating paths for students who want to pair technical skills with community impact. When we invest in these learners, we invest in cleaner neighborhoods, smarter infrastructure, and a stronger local workforce. If you or someone you know is a graduating senior or GED student with a passion for sustainability, now’s the time. Apply at SWACO.org by March 31, share this episode with a friend who needs the nudge, and help us build the next generation of waste and recycling leaders!

  7. Jan 27

    Two Local Partners Help Families and Our Landfill

    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, including helping you sustainably clean up from the holidays.   Joe and Hanna walk us through the origin of their partnership, why speed matters, and how donations move from a pickup truck to a family’s home in a matter of days. Phil explains the referral network that identifies households leaving homelessness, domestic violence, or disaster, and why the most requested items are the most basic: sofas, beds, and dressers.  Brody opens the hood on junk hauling, the kinds of usable items they see every day, and the moment he realized mattresses—when clean and safe—can be accepted and immediately put to use. How about this for a staggering number - nearly 3,000 tons of furniture going to families in need while keeping all those items out of the landfill! This great conversation also gets practical. If cardboard is piling up, try renting heavy-duty boxes, saving your best ones for the next move, or circulating them through neighborhood groups. Plus, we highlight community access points: affordable thrift stores, neighborhood food pantries and upcoming events that make responsible drop-offs easy. Mark your calendar for Furniture Bank Day on April 25, 2026, and keep an eye out for Earth Day and World Cleanup Day collection drives. If you want less waste and more impact, this is your playbook!  Subscribe, share this episode with a neighbor who’s decluttering, and leave a review telling us one item you’ll pass on to a new home this month.

  8. 12/10/2025

    WastEd Celebrates a Full Year of Podcasts and Waste Reduction Wins

    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 transforming plastics into new life as countertops and store-ready products.   It all adds up to what those downloads reveal about what matters most to Central Ohio. Hanna and Joe also open the door to the real work of making a podcast:  booking guests, aligning calendars, and choosing the right name were more than logistics, they were exercises in clarity. WastEd stuck because education is the thread: practical steps residents can take today, and system-level changes cities and businesses can implement too. Looking ahead, we outline 2026 Greenprint priorities: more support for schools and multi-unit housing, targeted help for businesses, new grants to lower the barrier for composting and reuse, and stronger ties with public services, construction and logistics teams.  Expect deeper work on hard-to-recycle materials, cleaner curbside lists, and more on-the-road stories that show circularity in action. If you care about reducing waste, saving money, and building a healthier region, there’s a place for you in this effort. Subscribe, share this episode with a neighbor, and leave a review with one question you want answered next year.   Happy holidays and keep listening in 2026!

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About

WastED is a waste and recycling education podcast from SWACO. Hosted monthly by Joe Lombardi and Hanna Greer-Brown, our guests offer insights into regional efforts helping to push sustainability forward as well as sharing their perspective on the next big GREEN thing for central Ohio. Between a few laughs plus genuine and substantive conversation, each episode features takeaways about proper disposal that will have listeners recycling right in no time. Find us on Spotify, Apple Music or wherever you listen!

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