Recycling in Columbus, OH: An Expert Guide from Rumpke

Summary

• 99% Recycling Recovery Rate. Rumpke’s Columbus, OH, facility boasts North America's highest recycling efficiency, meaning nearly all recyclable materials are reused.

• $106 Million Investment in Columbus. The Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center is the largest and most advanced recycling facility in North America, located right in Columbus.

• Local Economic Impact. Over 80% of recycled materials stay in Ohio, supporting manufacturers and jobs statewide—from paper mills to plastics and glass.

• AI + Optical Technology. The facility uses AI and 19 optical scanners to sort materials with extreme precision—over 1,000 items per minute—leading the industry in innovation.

• 3,000 Square-Foot Education Center. Rumpke collaborated with the Center of Science & Industry (COSi) to design a unique space for recycling tours and education.

• Case Study. The local children's hospital in Columbus, OH, is set to divert 750 tons of waste annually.

⇓ 2025 Sustainability Report

Rumpke has redefined recycling in Columbus, OH, with a 99% recovery rate at North America’s most advanced recycling facility: The Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center.

The biggest myth you may hear about recycling is that your materials aren’t really being recycled. At Rumpke, that’s never the case. In Columbus, nearly every single recycled item gets recovered and sent to an end user.

As the recycling leader, we’re committed to transparency about our operations and helping the public understand proper recycling practices throughout central Ohio and beyond.

Recycling Innovation in Central Ohio

Rumpke invested $106 million—its largest investment to date—to build North America’s largest material recovery facility: The Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center in Columbus, OH. The state-of-the-art facility, which opened in August 2024, spans 235,000 square feet, processes 60–70 tons per hour and achieves an impressive 99% recovery rate.

This means that nearly every recyclable item received is successfully recycled and diverted from our landfills!

Facility Features

To enhance operations, this state-of-the-art facility features the latest recycling equipment:

• North America’s largest tipping floor: 32,500 square feet
• Commercial tip floor: 12,000 square feet.
• Material auditing areas.
• 19 optical scanners: Pre-programmed to pick certain recyclables off the belt with a precise burst of air at a rate of over 1,000 picks per minute.
• 6 artificial intelligence (AI) units: Improves recovery rates, collects data and identifies specific material types.
• Ballistic separators: Separates 2D items (paper, cardboard and plastic film) from 3D items (plastic bottles, cans and containers).
• Trommels: Spinning drums with various-sized holes that effectively separate materials by size.
• One-of-a-kind Education Center: 3,000 square foot interactive space designed by Rumpke and the Center of Science & Industry (COSi).

Tour the Facility!

To meet the region’s growing recycling needs, Rumpke strategically designed The Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center as a versatile facility: to lead recycling efforts with the most advanced technology in North America while also serving as an interactive, educational hub for the community.

Book A Tour!

Building Ohio’s Circular Economy: Why You Should Recycle

• 99% Columbus, OH, recovery rate at Rumpke.
• Nearly 90% overall recovery rate across all Rumpke facilities.
• More than 80% of Rumpke’s recycled material fuels the local economy in and around Ohio.
• Recycling creates more jobs and supports a stronger local economy.

Recycled Material Stays Local

According to current EPA records, the average American produces around five pounds of waste every day, and more than half of that could be recycled.

At Rumpke, we boast an overall 90% recovery rate, where nearly 80% of recycled materials are sold to manufacturers within our service footprint. That means much of what you recycle in Columbus and Central Ohio directly supports local businesses.

Lasting Benefits of Recycling

Recycling acceptable materials generates lasting benefits for our communities and environment by:

• Supporting Ohio businesses and jobs.
• Saving Ohio landfill space for non-recyclable material.
• Conserving energy and natural resources.
• Protecting our local landscapes and ecosystems.

What Makes Something Recyclable in Columbus, OH?

Since there is no national standard for recycling, we consider these two things to determine an item’s recyclability:

1. Can it move safely through our equipment?
2. Do we have an end-user for that material?

If we cannot answer “yes” to both questions, it’s not recyclable and won’t be accepted in our program in Columbus or any other Rumpke recycling facility.

Columbus Recycling YouTube Series

In our “The Ways and Whys of Recycling” series on YouTube, Senior Vice President of Recycling Jeff Snyder explains the “whys” behind what’s recyclable and the “ways” Rumpke continues to improve the recycling process. We’ll dive deeper into each topic of this series to give you the knowledge you need to become a confident recycler.

Columbus Recycling YouTube Series

Recyclable Items—It Starts at the Store

If you live in Columbus, OH, effective recycling begins with the choices you make at the store. When you buy products made with recyclable packaging, you’re not only able to recycle more, but you’re also supporting a more sustainable economy in Columbus and across the state.

Let's take a closer look at each material so you know which items from your grocery list should be recycled.

Improve Columbus Recycling—Avoid Wishcycling

• Increases recovery rates, which helps increase public trust.
• Saves acres of Ohio landfill space for non-recyclable waste.
• Reduces processing costs of Ohio facilities.
• Increases material quality for local end-users.

When you toss unacceptable items in your recycling bin, no matter where you’re located, it’s considered “contamination.”

While we understand that people have good intentions (a.k.a. wishcycling), placing the wrong items in the recycling bin can interrupt the process, damage equipment, put employees at risk and even ruin the recyclability of acceptable items. There are many problems and dangers caused by wishcycling.

Items That Ruin The Recycling Process

Certain wishcycled items are capable of contaminating entire bins or truckloads of recyclable material, rendering them as waste that must then be transferred to one of our landfills. We see some of the following unacceptable items every day at our recycling facilities:

• Propane tanks
• Vapes
• Tanglers: chains, hangers, hoses and Christmas lights
• Batteries
• Electronics
• Pool & household chemicals
• Film: VHS & cassettes
• Plastic bags
• Organics: yard waste, food and dirt
• Textiles: clothes, shoes and mattresses

If you’re ever in doubt, check Rumpke’s acceptable items list, not the product’s label. The “chasing arrows” symbol doesn’t determine if an item is recyclable or not!

Batteries & E-Waste Sabotage Columbus Recycling Efforts

Batteries and electronics (e-waste) are hazardous materials, and hazardous materials should never be placed in recycling or trash containers.

In fact, one of the most dangerous items exposed to our Columbus facility employees is commonly found inside all our rechargeable devices: lithium-ion batteries. When damaged, these batteries spark dangerous fires in our trucks and recycling facilities.

Columbus—Know Before You Throw!

Successful recycling in Columbus, OH, starts with informed and motivated community members who recycle the right items. That’s why Rumpke provides educational resources and an acceptable items list to our neighbors and customers.

Below, we’ve included answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.