We are dedicated to advancing the practice of
economical and environmentally sound solid waste management in the State of Ohio.
The objectives of the chapter are:
- To develop increased professionalism in the field of solid waste management;
- To develop environmentally sound, economically competitive, and effective integrated municipal solid waste management systems, including reduction, recycling, collection, transfer, processing, landfilling and waste-to-energy conversion of solid wastes;
- To foster a cooperative atmosphere among municipal solid waste management professionals through the
dissemination of information, continuing education and professional development and research programs to best serve the public interest.
History
It was June 18, 1985 when at a conference entitled “Automated Collection and Collection Efficiency Conference” in Mansfield, Ohio, a few proud members of the Governmental Refuse Collection and Disposal Association (GRCDA was the name prior to becoming SWANA) began to discuss forming a chapter for the solid waste professionals of Ohio. These founding fathers composed of Jim Bridges, Jerry Springer, George Rowe, Wilbur Evans, and Frank Gerdnic were encouraged by former SWANA Executive Director, H. Lanier Hickman, to petition to organize. In September 1985, Bridges, Evans, and Springer met at the Ohio State University’s Student Union to prepare a strategy for organizing. On October 16, 1985, an ad hoc committee seeking a GRCDA Chapter for the State of Ohio met in a conference room at the U.S. EPA facility in Cincinnati to review the GRCDA Chapter Handbook and take steps to establish a Chapter. On August 14, 1986, GRCDA International President, Philip Richmond, and the International Board of Director’s approved the Affiliation Agreement and the Ohio “Buckeye Chapter” was officially established.
The Ohio Buckeye Chapter is an affiliate of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), the oldest, largest, and most well-respected professional organization in the field of solid waste management that promotes sustainable and economical solid waste management systems that include waste reduction, recycling, collection, transfer, compost operations, processing, landfilling, and energy recovery.