Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Big heat is coming to the Northeast, so are more downpours Chevron right
North Central states face daily bouts of severe weather. Click here for more details Chevron right

Columbus, OH

78°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

78°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Weather News

5 sustainable ways to clean up trash, debris after a natural disaster

By Ashley Williams, AccuWeather staff writer

Copied

After a major storm or natural disaster sweeps through an area, potentially damaging your home and littering your yard with debris, there are ways to ensure that the cleanup process is environmentally friendly.

In contrast to simply throwing the waste in a dumpster to be hauled off to a landfill, it’s important to understand that the process of discarding waste in a sustainable manner will take some time and effort, said Matthew Hollis, president of Elytus.

The software technology and consulting firm helps businesses plan out sustainable waste strategies.

“The best thing you can do is start to work through the waste that you have in your house and categorize it accordingly,” Hollis said.

To help the process go smoothly, consider sorting out your potential waste in categories including food, appliances, clothing, yard debris and furniture.

Storm debris

(Photo/LeCajun/Getty Images)

Food waste

The next step is to figure out the best way to handle recovering or discarding damaged items.

An easy place to start is with spoiled food in your refrigerator, which is likely if there’s an extended power outage.

“You’re going to have food in your fridge that went bad, so that’s organic waste,” Hollis said. “That can be composted and it doesn’t necessarily have to go to the landfill.”

Some compostable foods include grains, fruit, vegetables, eggshells, meat and dairy products. There are also facilities that convert food waste into renewable energy.

Clothing

Any clothing that may have been ruined by the storm can be recycled, said Hollis. He recommended airing out clothing by hanging them rather than using a dryer.

“Start talking with organizations like the Goodwill or the Salvation Army,” he said. “A lot of those organizations will take clothes that are damaged and sell it in textiles.”

Those textiles can then be shredded and turned into things like insulation, rags or carpet.

Appliances

A non-functioning household appliance can be used in other ways, including being recycled for parts.

“Maybe there are certain parts of the appliance that can still be used and can help others; [for instance,] they can take three broken stoves and combine it into one that works,” Hollis said.

If the appliance is unable to be recycled for parts, examining the item and determining if there are any recyclable precious metals is also an option.

Furniture

If a storm has ravaged your home, it’s possible that your furniture may have been damaged by floodwaters or debris. Figuring out what is salvageable is a good starting point, said Hollis.

“The best thing you can do is dry it out as best as you can,” Hollis said. “If it’s a metal table and you dried it out and it looks to be intact and un-rusted, then it’s fine.”

RELATED:

How to avoid dangers of downed power lines amid extreme weather
5 expert tips for protecting your home against hurricane damage
Expert tips for preventing mold growth or remediating mold in your home after a flood

Hollis said that while glass can typically withstand the impact of water, furniture made of fabrics or wood may have to be recycled or de-constructed for re-purposing.

Storm debris

Separating storm debris outside of your home is essential to helping the environment and preventing rodent infestations, said Laura Simis, an inbound specialist at Evergreen Lawn and Pest in Orlando, Florida.

“Dry piles can be a fire hazard and moist piles smell like decomposition,” Simis said. “They can also be hazardous if debris spills or blows into traffic.”

Simis recommended organizing storm debris according to the type of material.

“Yard waste, [including] trees, branches, leaves, torn-up landscaping and shrubs, has to be separated out from construction materials [like] roof shingles, broken glass and drywall,” she said.

After considering these categories, you can sort out the typical items that you’d normally recycle, including glass, plastic and cardboard, said Hollis.

Hard-to-recycle items, like Styrofoam, will likely be items that you’d discard in the trash, he said.

<hr>

For more safety and preparedness tips, visit AccuWeather.com/Ready.

AccuWeather ready logo
Report a Typo

Weather News

Weather News

Wildfire smoke to limit number of days with deep blue sky this summer

Jun. 12, 2025
Weather News

More rain, temperature swings ahead for the Northeast

Jun. 15, 2025
Weather News

Children swept away among at least 49 killed in South Africa flooding

Jun. 11, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather News

How the Air India plane came crashing to earth

3 days ago

Severe Weather

North-central US faces daily bouts of severe weather

5 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

More stormy downpours for northeast US, but big heat is on horizon

1 hour ago

Weather Forecasts

Denver to hit 100 as heat surges to new heights in central US

5 hours ago

Weather News

At least 8 dead in San Antonio after months of rain fell in hours

2 days ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Climate

If crucial ocean currents collapses, weather impact would be extreme

4 days ago

Weather News

No injuries after JetBlue plane rolls onto grass after landing

3 days ago

Astronomy

Accidental find in planetarium could shift understanding of solar syst...

4 days ago

Climate

New Zealand sued over ‘inadequate’ plan to reduce emissions

4 days ago

Weather News

New images reveal treasures aboard ‘holy grail’ shipwreck

3 days ago

AccuWeather Weather News 5 sustainable ways to clean up trash, debris after a natural disaster
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...