The Green Scene: February 2026
February 24, 2026
Earth Day Comes Early!
April 9, 2026
Visit us at the Hilliard Bunny Hop
2026 Litter Index
🚮 Keep Hilliard Beautiful (KHB) completed its annual Litter Index on March 7.
This audit is required as an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful which has as one of their main causes to reduce litter. The results of the litter index let affiliates know which areas need to have a litter pickup.
The audit is performed on a specific route that is determined by a random algorithm. Each route is audited for four consecutive years at roughly the same time each year.
The streets are rated 1 (minimal or no litter), 2 (slightly littered), 3 (littered), or 4 (extremely littered). Ratings are somewhat subjective, but KHB members are well-versed in how much litter generates what number.
Unfortunately, this year was the second highest number Hilliard has had since the first audit in 2018.
This year we had a 1.61, which puts us very close to the “littered” category.
The worst areas were Alton Darby Road, Cosgray Road, Hayden Run Road, the eastern half of Davidson Road, Britton Parkway, All Seasons Drive, and Northwest Parkway.
The good news is that on Friday, March 20, Hilliard City employees fanned out across Hilliard and picked up a bunch of litter!
🚯 What can you do to minimize litter?
Obviously, don’t throw anything out of your car.
But also, please secure your trash, particularly on a windy day.
One thing you can do is to set your cans out with the hinge side facing west so that the wind blows lids down instead of up, allowing trash
to blow out of your can.
And when you see litter, please pick it up!
You can also follow Keep Hilliard Beautiful and join our monthly litter pickups.
Check us out on Instagram @keephilliardbeautifuloh.
Big Darby Accord Meeting
🖼️ Columbus City Council will hold a public hearing about chances to the the Big Darby Accord on Tuesday, April 7 at City Hall at 5 p.m.
💬Your voice matters!
Columbus city residents can join the public hearing and sign up to make their voices heard on April 7. More information on signing up to speak at Council here.
Residents of the Darby area can contact their legislators to ask them to support protections for this precious resource at Protect the Darby.org.
This page, organized by the Darby Creek Coalition, will connect you to your legislator and provide a pre-written email.
These protections are crucial for the updated Accord:
- Use the best available science to identify how much development the Darby can withstand and commit to not surpassing it.
- Require conservation land protection to happen, setting acres aside for parks before new development can be approved.
- Accountability for developers to the promises and limits within the Accord with watershed conservation staff oversight .
📚Read more about the update at Hilliard’s Big Darby page on the City of Hilliard website. There is also still time to submit your input there.
Volunteer on Earth Day!
Lend a hand to a day of sustainable recycling in April at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.
Saturday, April 11
♻️ Let's make Hilliard greener together!
Volunteer with Go Green Hilliard in five easy steps:
- Learn about Earth Day in Hilliard here.
- Sign up on Go Green Hilliard.com.
- Sign the waiver.
- Join us at 9:30 a.m. at Gate 5 of the Franklin County Fairgrounds on April 11. We'll provide safety equipment and directions.
- Help Hilliard residents recycle by directing traffic and answering questions.
More questions? Read our FAQ or contact us through this page.
Visit us at the Bunny Hop on March 28! Keep Hilliard Beautiful finished the 2026 litter index this month. Columbus City Council is holding a meeting on April 7 on The Big Darby Accord, and we’re looking for volunteers for our April 11 Earth Day Celebration and recycle-palooza.
