The Dispatch wrote Is Columbus a green city?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
BY ROBERT VITALE AND MARK FERENCHIK
In 2005, Mayor Coleman issued a set of directives that put Columbus on the same path as many Americans who’ve tried to reduce, reuse and recycle in an era of growing concern for the environment. With what’s now called his “Green Memo,” Coleman ordered city government to use less energy, toss out less trash, buy more recycled products, and adopt more environmentally friendly ways of constructing roads and buildings.
The city would encourage green businesses with tax breaks and contracting preferences, according to the plan. It would push private developers toward greener construction with incentives and new rules. Columbus has made notable progress in the ensuing three years, if not the “light-years” leap that Coleman boasts.
Even the city’s recycling, which he described as “pitiful” a few years ago, has improved, Coleman said. Now, he laughs, “It’s just embarrassing.”
According to a survey by the trade journal Waste News, Columbus’ recycling rate ranked 21st among the nation’s 30 biggest cities. “As a community, we have to do more,” the mayor said. “People need to take initiative themselves, regardless of government.”
Related Stories:
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– SWACO reporting recycling records set in 2007