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Partnership Announced Between SWACO and BOMA Columbus To Promote Recycling in Columbus Office Buildings

Building Owners and Managers of Columbus (BOMA) are banding together with SWACO to promote recycling. The local association of BOMA represents approximately 85-million square feet of office space. Members of BOMA are affiliated with 70% of the downtown buildings and 60% across the Greater Columbus area.

"We look forward to working with BOMA Columbus," says SWACO Executive Director Ron Mills. "With their representation locally, we believe this can be an important opportunity in the management of the Franklin County waste stream."

BOMA Columbus' Executive Director, Cindy Smith, is excited about the SWACO partnership. "Some of our members have begun recycling programs on their own. However we believe a concerted effort with the backing of the experts at SWACO will have a greater impact. We understand that a lot of the trash that comes from our buildings consists of prime recyclables such as paper and cardboard. This partnership will help us identify what we can recycle and put us on that road."

Mills notes that over 40% (or about 375,000 tons) of what goes to SWACO's Franklin County Landfill annually is paper, cardboard or other fiber. "That is the equivalent of a pile of paper one and a half football fields in diameter (150-yards) and over 950 feet high. To put it in perspective, the home of BOMA is on the 13th floor of the LeVeque Tower in Downtown Columbus. The LeVeque Tower is 555 feet tall."

SWACO is the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio. We believe today's throwaways are the foundation for tomorrow. In doing so, we act as a catalyst to bring about innovative waste reduction and recycling projects. Our recently opened Green Energy Center turns landfill gas into compressed natural gas to fuel cars and trucks. It has a current capacity to replace 250,000 gasoline gallon equivalents per year. Currently under construction is the RASTRA project which will mix post consumer polystyrene with cement to construct lightweight building panels that are highly insulated, moisture proof, fire proof and termite resistant.

SWACO also provides consumers recycling opportunities around Franklin County (Ohio) through 200 recycling drop off-locations, at major sporting and entertainment venues, at Columbus City Schools, The Columbus Arts Festival and other locations. SWACO provides leadership and advice for businesses wishing to begin recycling and waste reduction programs as well. SWACO operates the Franklin County Landfill, and three transfer stations in addition to other programs. For more information on SWACO, visit their website at www.swaco.org.

Founded in 1907, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is a dynamic international federation of more than 100 local associations. The 18,500-plus members of BOMA International own or manage more than 9 billion square feet of downtown and suburban commercial properties and facilities in North America and abroad. The mission of BOMA International is to advance the performance of commercial real estate through advocacy, professional competency, standards and research. For more information, visit the BOMA International Web site at www.boma.org.