The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), a regional solid waste management agency that includes the City of Columbus and Franklin County, is working to reduce the amount of paper disposed of in central Ohio landfills by 20,000 tons in an effort to meet its mandated waste reduction goal of 25 percent. Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. (GBB) provided solid waste management consulting support to advance public awareness and document the potential financial benefits of recycling within the workplace environment for local businesses.

GBB, in association with Internet technology firm WasteBid.com, Inc. (WasteBid), is assisting commercial business facilities in the region by providing the SmartEngine™ as part of an innovative Internet-based recycling promotions outreach. GBB/WasteBid developed a specific database and web-based communications tool to allow the review of company-by-company waste generation data, current waste collection practices and costs, and current levels of onsite recycling. The project team integrated the initial business information and local services offered by regional recyclers and waste collection companies into WasteBid’s evaluation tool, the patented “SmartEngine™.”

The SmartEngine™ identifies cost-saving opportunities for each of the respective workplaces utilizing an extensive database of waste and recycling information developed from GBB’s 20-plus years in the industry and national databases. The goal is to ultimately provide all local businesses with online access to recycling enhancement information on a 24/7 basis through SWACO’s Web site.

A real test of “man versus machine” was conducted with SWACO after the initial year of development of the SmartEngine™. For the next year, many business audits were conducted with the SmartEngine™ and others using the traditional in-person audits approach.