Eye on the Environment

What a great run!!

With the last issue of ThisWeek in January 2023, and so the last “Eye on the Environment” column, it’s a great time to reflect on the 6 years that members of the City of Hilliard’s Environmental Sustainability Commission have shared with the citizens of Hilliard.  We have certainly enjoyed writing this column, sharing ideas and educating the public about important environmental issues, celebrations, and sometimes odd topics!

We’ve shared Hilliard’s commitment to sustainability: sustainably designing a new library, agreeing with and running the only Central Ohio polystyrene densifier to reduce this material in our landfills, utilizing a more sustainable method of cleaning out retention ponds, maintaining a great “Adopt-A-Park” program, testing a more sustainable method for street paving, initiating a drop-off compost program, improving Hilliard’s Transportation goals to include more sustainable options, active participation in MORPC’s Summit on Sustainability and capping that achievement by attaining their Platinum Status.

The Environmental Sustainability Commission has shared why bees, vernal pools, leaving leaves on the ground, butterflies, and “green” family activities are so important to the environment.  We’ve also shared why invasive species, algae blooms, single use plastics, ice removal chemicals, polystyrene, and litter are so bad, and the importance of reducing all these issues.

We’ve shared the fun activities that occur each year on Earth Day in April.  We’ve shared the fantastic turnouts for paper shredding, electronics and household item collections, and polystyrene drop-offs which have resulted in tons of materials diverted from the landfill.

We’ve introduced the fairly new Keep Hilliard Beautiful team which really kicked into gear 2 years ago and has already collected over 33,000 pounds of litter throughout Hilliard!

We will continue to move forward in our environmental efforts: in April 2023, our Earth Day event will be on April 15, but it will be held at the Franklin County Fairgrounds so we can handle the ever-growing number of participants!!!  Thank you, Hilliard residents, for being so conscience about proper disposal of electronics, household goods, and shredding paper.  Polystyrene drop-off will continue to be available 24/7 364 days a year near the Municipal Building!

Keep Hilliard Beautiful will continue soliciting volunteers to help with litter pickups and beautifying the city with local flora.  KHB will also be spearheading an effort to provide local businesses to install “butt boxes” to collect cigarette butts to be sent to a special location for recycling!  Who knew that cigarette butts are recyclable?!?!?  But only at special locations.  The boxes will be provided free of charge and the businesses will be responsible to emptying them, packing up the butts, and mailing them free of charge to the out-of-state location.  Email KHB@hilliardohio.gov for details.

It’s a bit sad to writing this last column, but the good news is that both the ESC and KHB are readily available electronically.  For the ESC, please visit our website at gogreenhilliard.com, join our Facebook page at gogreenhilliard, and follow us on Instagram at @hilliardesc.  Follow KHB on Instagram at @keephilliardbeautifuloh, LinkedIn, and hilliardohio.gov/keep-hilliard-beautiful.