The City of Westerville is using a grant to implement a zero waste plan for the city. Safex is honored to represent small business on the Green Team which is tasked with creating a strategic plan to reduce materials sent to landfills. Safex safety and environmental consultant, Mike Yakhnitskiy, is on the team and brings his sustainability experience to the group.
“Our landfills are nearing capacity and are being filled with materials that could easily be diverted or repurposed. Westerville’s initiative is very timely. We want to get ahead of the issue by rethinking common waste practices and innovating to save the community money and conserve resources,” Mike shares.
The Green Team will develop and share their plan with City Council by the end of the year. Some tentative initiatives to look forward to include:
- Curbside organics collection
- Diversion programs for electronics, batteries, holiday lights
- Partnerships with food rescues
- Assistance packages for businesses
What is Zero Waste?
“Zero waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.” (Source Zero Waste International Alliance)
