The first-ever countywide business sustainability pledge will be signed by Hamilton County officials on Tuesday at the Hamilton County Central Campus.
This event marks a turning point for the county, as local businesses and county commissioners are making a public, verifiable commitment to change the county’s approach to sustainability. The pledge is open to every business in all 48 communities in Hamilton County.
Hamilton County ReSource will also announce a new $200,000 Food Rescue Equipment Grant, open for applications immediately.
The event, themed “One Pledge Can Do a Ton of Good,” Tuesday, took place before a commissioner’s meeting at 1701 Patricia McCollum Way in Bond Hill. Hamilton County ReSource is a non-regulatory county government department that provides free, comprehensive waste-reduction consulting, education, and technical assistance throughout the county.
According to Hamilton County ReSource, more than 70% of commercial waste in Hamilton County could be diverted from landfills, and 138,050 tons of food scraps are landfilled annually — valued at approximately $312 million.
“Today proved that Hamilton County businesses are ready to lead on sustainability. The
data is clear, the programs are free, and the commitment from this community is real. If
your business wasn’t in the room today, it’s not too late — the pledge is open right
now, and we hope every business in all 49 jurisdictions will sign,” said Stephanie
Summerow Dumas, president, Hamilton County Board of Commissioners.
In 2024, businesses diverted nearly 100,000 tons of food through rescue, composting and recovery, Hamilton County ReSource reported.
Hamilton County ReSource’s 2025 Commercial Waste Characterization Study provides a detailed sector-level picture of what local businesses are discarding.
The study found that depending on the industry, between 64% and 84% of what businesses discard could be diverted, with restaurants finding that nearly half of their waste is food, and grocery stores and hotels seeing up to 36% of their waste as single-stream recyclable, according to the release. A companion Ohio EPA study of the broader commercial waste stream confirms the scale of the opportunity: well over half of what Hamilton County businesses landfill consists of readily divertible recyclables and compostables that don’t belong in a landfill.
Earlier this month, Hamilton County ReSource told CityBeat about its efforts to improve composting this summer through free educational classes.
