Hilliard's Environmental Sustainability Commission tackled a full slate of green initiatives at its Aug. 12 meeting, including an update on the Franklin County Fairgrounds mural project and a first look at a parks recycling partnership with Miami University.
The commission met at 5:45 p.m. at City Hall, 3800 Municipal Way. Chair Melissa Muth, an ESC member since 2016 who helped launch the Keep Hilliard Beautiful volunteer program, led the Keep Hilliard Beautiful portion of the agenda, which included litter cleanup summaries and the latest on the fairgrounds mural.
The mural has been a recurring ESC agenda item since at least June, when the commission discussed a painting event scheduled for the Franklin County Fair. That event ran daily from 2–5 p.m. during the fair's July 20–26 run at 4951 Northwest Parkway and was described as "a success" in an Instagram post. The Aug. 12 meeting marked the commission's first review of the project since the fair wrapped.
Staff representative Forest Runnels and council representative Cynthia Vermillion also presented a review of Miami University's Parks Recycling Project, though details on the partnership's scope and timeline were not available from the meeting agenda.
Recycle Right gets commission review
The commission also reviewed the Recycle Right, Make a Difference campaign, which the city launched Aug. 10 in partnership with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio. According to campaign materials from the city, the average Hilliard household captures only about 40% of the recyclables it could. The gap is significant. More than 700,000 tons of recyclable materials end up at the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill each year.
"Recycling really works. It preserves resources, extends the life of our landfill, and supports Ohio's circular economy, and this campaign is all about making it easy to Recycle Right," SWACO Executive Director Joe Lombardi said when the campaign launched.
Franklin County's recycling industry supports more than 5,000 jobs and generates $1.3 billion in annual economic activity, according to SWACO.
Accepted curbside items include paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and tubs, glass bottles and jars, metal cups and cans, and carton containers. Residents should keep plastic bags, batteries and wire hangers out of recycling carts to avoid contamination.
What's next
The ESC's next meeting is Sept. 9 at 5:45 p.m. at City Hall. Upcoming community events on the commission's calendar include a Parks for Pollinators event Sept. 13, led by Vice Chair Maggie Willis, and a Growing Green Infrastructure event Dec. 9.
