can fairy curbside
recycling program
It’s simple: fill the bin, not the lawn
Can Fairy is a free recycling rewards program to help keep our University District neighborhoods clean, safe, and sustainable.
COLUMBUS COLLECTS
x
CAN FAIRY REWARDS
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COLUMBUS COLLECTS x CAN FAIRY REWARDS x
HOW IT WORKS:
Where: Roll your bin to the same spot your trash gets picked up
When: Every Thursday the City of Columbus will collect your recycling
Is it just cans? No - it’s ALL recyclable materials
SO, WHAT’S RECYCLABLE?
RECYCLE THIS:
Paper
Metal Cans & Cups
Cartons
Glass Bottles & Jars
Plastic Bottles & Containers
Cardboard, including greasy pizza boxes
NOT THIS
Plastic Bags, Wrap, and Film
Dirty, Un-rinsed Items
Wires & Electronics
Styrofoam
Solo Brand Party Cups
Food Waste. Food Utensils
CAN FAIRY REWARDS?
That’s right!
By signing up for Can Fairy you’ll get the chance to win Can Fairy prizes and become a Can Fairy Champion!
Such as:
Can Fairy T-Shirts
Tote Bags
Reusable Party Cups
Dice (for beer die)
Ping Pong Balls
Gift cards to local restaurants & shops
fill the bin, not the lawn.
fill the bin, not the lawn.
fill the bin, not the lawn. fill the bin, not the lawn.
It’s simple: we want to beautify our community by making it cleaner, safer and more sustainable.
Over the last few years we’ve been on a mission to work with the City of Columbus, Ohio EPA, and Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) to re-instate permanent recycle infrastructure in the core off campus neighborhoods of the University District.
How we made this happen:
2022 — Keep Columbus Beautiful Collaboration kickstarted the program
Keep Columbus Beautiful and the City of Columbus collaborated on our proof of concept to see if this idea (recycling in the off campus area) was even possible.
Boundary: 1 Street | East 13th Ave
Duration: 8 Home Ohio State Home Games
Number of Houses: 20
End Result: Success
2023-2024 | Ohio EPA Grant from proof of concept to pilot program
Ohio EPA helped fund the first phase of Can Fairy. We crated our branding and branded recycling boxes for all participants in the program.
Boundary: 8 Streets | Chittenden to 16th & up to Summit
Duration: 32 Weeks - Full academic school year
Number of Houses: 100
End Result: 9,314 pounds diverted from the landfill
2024-2025 | Ohio EPA Grant Round 2!
This was our expansion year! We also upgraded from cardboard boxes to regular plastic bins and welcomed Green Scope Consulting to assist with data collection and analysis.
Boundary: 16 Streets | 11th to Lane & up to Summit
Duration: 32 Weeks - Full academic school year
Number of Houses: 200
End Result: 44,459 pounds diverted from the landfill
2025-2026 | Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) enters the chat.
Boundary: 16 Streets | 11th to Lane & up to Summit
Duration: 30 Weeks - Full academic school year
Number of Houses: 200
End Result: 54,163 pounds diverted from the landfill
We were awarded SWACO’s Special Project Grant over a 2 year period to transition the collection from our team back to the City of Columbus Department of Refuse.
2026-2026 | Transition Year
In year 2 SWACO is helping to support the distribution of additional recycling collection containers, and education and outreach efforts with participants on how to Recycle Right.
The City will collect recycling and Can Fairy will continue to educate and incentivize to recycle right through engaging participants and giving out prizes!
Nobody wants to see trash scattered about in lawns and it’s unfair to expect someone else to clean it up.
Sign-ups to receieve a Can Fairy bin is now closed.
