Camille Snyder (Project Manager), Aria Beard, Jada Davis and Emerson Lepicki with the Food Scrap Collection Shed they brought to life with their designs. Credit: Courtesy of Sara Gallaugher
Students and residents in the University District now have a new way to cut down on food waste.
A food scrap collection site recently opened outside Indianola Presbyterian Church, allowing Franklin County residents to drop off compostable materials 24/7.
At 1970 Waldeck Ave., the site is part of a countywide initiative led by the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) in partnership with Ohio State, the University District Organization and the Indianola Presbyterian Church. This University District site is one of 32 food scrap drop-off locations across Franklin County, not including the eight on Ohio State’s campus.
Molly Kathleen, zero waste manager at Ohio State, said composting makes a major difference compared to throwing food away.
“When food waste breaks down in a landfill, it creates methane, which is about 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide,” Kathleen said. “By composting, we can reduce emissions, improve soil quality and cut back on the need for artificial fertilizers.”
Sarah Gallaugher, food waste programs administrator for SWACO, emphasized the scale of the issue.
“Nearly a million pounds of food waste come to the landfill every day,” Gallaugher said. “That’s about 15% of what’s in our landfill, which is part of the 76% of material that could be diverted from the landfill.”
The new University District site accepts a wide range of organic materials, including fruit and vegetable scraps, meat, dairy, bread, eggshells, napkins and compostable containers. Four large bins are located inside a student-designed shed, which features a colorful mural created through a design studio course at Ohio State.
“We really love that this is a communal effort,” Trip Porch, a pastor at Indianola Presbyterian, said. “Our church sees caring for creation as part of our faith, but this project goes beyond us — it’s a neighborhood initiative that students and residents can take ownership of.”
The Executive Director of SWACO, Joe Lombardi, said food waste is a universal issue, but wants to reduce it within the university district area.
“The problem of food waste is an issue in every kitchen, but it doesn’t have to be an issue for our community,” Lombardi said.
For students, composting can even make day-to-day living easier.
“Your trash won’t smell as bad, you don’t have to take it out as often and you’ll save money on trash bags,” Kathleen said.
The site opened at the start of fall semester and is already being used by church members, a preschool inside the church and several students. Organizers hope a mailer and local outreach will expand participation.
Tyler Lowry, senior communications administrator at SWACO, said the effort also connects to their organization’s “Save More Than Food” campaign, which encourages residents to prevent food waste at home, reuse leftovers and find composting opportunities.
“This is a problem that affects everyone,” Lowry said. “The average family of four wastes up to $2,000 a year on food they never eat. Composting is one way to start tackling that.”
The food scrap collection site is free to use and open to all Franklin County residents. A map of locations can be found at their website here.
