Columbus residents have composted about 400,000 pounds of food waste since the city started rolling out free public drop-off sites three years ago.

Why it matters: Food is the most common divertible material dumped in the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill, at a rate of nearly 1 million pounds daily.

• Making composting more accessible will help reduce food waste and the harmful greenhouse gases it emits.

How it works: Composting speeds up the natural process of organic matter breaking down into nutrient-rich fertilizer.

• In Columbus, food scraps collected at the sites are sent to an industrial-scale facility that opened in April in partnership with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio.
• The massive high-tech machinery is a first for the region, and it accepts most foods.

Fun fact: Fertilizer is donated to community gardens across Franklin County, Columbus Department of Public Service spokesperson Debbie Briner tells Axios.

Stop by: Columbus currently has nine drop-off sites at city parks and refuse stations.

• They're also in most suburbs, offering an easy alternative for residents who don't want to maintain a bin or pile at home.

What's next: The city hopes to add a few more, for "expanded access and convenience," Briner says.

👋 Alissa here. I'm happy to report that my recent composting-curious trial run went well.

• I collected three gallon-size compostable bags of scraps over two weeks, neatly storing them in my freezer until I dropped them off at Carriage Place Park.

What I learned:

👃 The collection bins didn't smell, even on the hottest day of the summer. Phew!

👶 Kids create a lot of compost. Between unfinished vegetables and spoiled groceries from stomach bugs, our family's scraps piled up faster than I expected.

🍓 It's not all bad. Strawberry stems, banana peels and eggshells are wastes you can't avoid.

😬 I use way too many paper towels. They're compostable, but pulling out the bag every time I soiled one has me considering reusable alternatives.

🚗 Make trips worth it. Car emissions harm the environment, too, so stockpile bags and find a route that isn't too out of the way.

♻️ I can do this! Just shifting my mindset and creating the habit was a big first step.

Many of our readers are already composting pros — thanks for sending in tips to help newbies get started.

What you're saying:

🛍️ Lisa W. also keeps compost-friendly bags in the fridge to drop off.

😅 Melanie M. warns if you don't use them quickly, they'll start to break down. (But hey, at least that means they work!)

🏠 Jen N. H. pays for curbside bucket pickup with the Compost Exchange.

• "I know it can be seriously yucky, but we have diverted so much from our regular garbage and that makes me feel so much better about our footprint!"

💰 Christy W. bought a backyard bin using a local rebate program.

• "It takes a couple weeks to get into the composting routine, but once you get into the flow, you'll ask yourself, 'Why didn't I start doing this years ago?'"

🧻 Cheryl S. says "you'll have more scraps than you think." She puts paper towels at the bottom of a lined bucket to catch smelly liquids.

🏃 Bill W. keeps a smaller container inside his trash can, both sealed. He uses a waterproof tote to transport his bag of scraps for a quick "dump and run."

🗓️ Tom W. recommends emptying buckets weekly to prevent smells.

• "It's amazing how much longer the garbage liners last when they're not filled with compost."

💰 Republicans are dramatically increasing spending on Senate races in Ohio and Iowa amid concerns that races like Jon Husted vs. Sherrod Brown are more competitive than expected. (Axios)

🚔 A new Ohio law requires protesters and bystanders to give police a 15-foot buffer zone at protests and elsewhere. It goes into effect in October. (Dispatch)

🗳️ Whitehall residents plan to try to recall another council member: Gerald Dixon, accused last year of sexually abusing young boys before a judge dismissed the case. (WOSU)

💸 About 100,000 Ohioans are going without food assistance thanks to federal cuts from the "big, beautiful bill" as food banks face added pressure. (Ohio Capital Journal)

⚽️ Crew players Max Arfsten and Steven Moreira — who both played in the World Cup — were named MLS all-stars. (Crew)

Earlier this week, we asked our readers for the best single ice cream flavor in Central Ohio to commemorate National Ice Cream Month.

⚔️ The intrigue: It's a scoop-off.

Multiple readers told us their favorites are two classic and popular flavors.

• Black Raspberry Chip, the signature flavor at Cincinnati-based Graeter's.
• Graham Central Station, the staple from Youngstown-born Handel's.

🗳️ Which one is our true champion? Click here to vote in our poll and we'll share the winner later this month.

• Or, reply to this email to share the unheralded best we didn't include.