Lincoln residents are being introduced to a new face in the city’s effort to reduce landfill waste. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird on Thursday unveiled “Land Phil,” Lincoln’s new waste diversion ambassador and the centerpiece of the city’s “Love Your Land Phil” education campaign.
The initiative is designed to encourage residents to waste less, recycle more, and keep reusable materials out of the landfill. “The new Love Your Land Phil education campaign makes it easier than ever for each of us to play a role in keeping our landfill from filling up too quickly,” Gaylor Baird says.
“When we recycle correctly and reduce waste, we extend the life of our landfill, save taxpayer dollars, and preserve valuable materials that still have useful life.” The campaign, which launches in July, is funded through a $1.7 million Recycling Education and Outreach Grant awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2024.
City officials say the effort will include a website, radio and television advertising, social media outreach, billboards, community events, and presentations aimed at helping residents better understand recycling and waste reduction. LTU Director Liz Elliott said studies show large amounts of recyclable and reusable material are still ending up in the landfill, including food waste, paper products, and recyclable metals.
“Our goal is to make reducing waste and recycling easy to understand and easy to do,” Elliott says. “Many of the items we bury today could have been eaten before going bad, reused instead of being thrown away, or made into something new if recycled correctly.”
Campaign goals include diverting 1,000 tons of food waste, keeping another 1,000 tons of recyclable and reusable materials out of the landfill, increasing curbside recycling subscriptions by 25 percent, and reducing contamination in recycling bins by 10 percent.
Residents can learn more about the campaign and meet Land Phil by clicking here.
(Photo: City of Lincoln)