Love Your Land Phil. Reduce Your Food Waste.
Hi Lincoln.
We would like to introduce you to someone. Meet Phil! Land Phil, to be precise. Land Phil has been taking care of all of Lincoln and Lancaster County’s garbage since 1989. Land Phil is good at his job, he is big (171 acres to be exact) and he receives an estimated 450 trucks a day.
There are a few things that make Phil sad. One tear-filled outburst from Phil occurred when he was discussing the amount of food waste that is delivered to him. During Phil's last waste measurement (otherwise called a waste characterization study) he found out that 22% of what he receives is food waste.
So, how do we send less food to Phil? Follow these tips, tricks and tools. Together we can work to feed people and not Land Phil.
Food: Our Biggest Impact
Reducing wasted food from going to Land Phil helps you save money, it helps to feed hungry people, and it conserves valuable resources needed to grow that food such as water, fertilizer, and labor. Here are some simple strategies to help you get started:
1) Plan Ahead
Before you head to the grocery store, consider making a plan for what you’ll cook, when you’ll eat it, and how many portions to make. Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, and buying too much often means the extra gets sent to Land Phil. Once you’ve made a meal plan, try shopping locally from Nebraska farmers, producers, and local businesses.
2) Store smarter
How often have you pulled something out of your fridge and thought, “When did we even buy this?” It can be easy for food to get lost or forgotten, so be sure to store items like produce that spoil quickly at the front, in plain sight, or in a clear drawer for high visibility.
To protect your food for longer periods of time, consider storing it in the freezer to extend its shelf life. When planning your weekly meals, consider making larger batches and freezing the excess to save time, money, and your food from Land Phil!
3) Trust your senses
The dates on our food packaging can be deceiving. Phrases like “Best By,” “Sell By,” and “Use By” indicate when a product is at its peak quality, not when it’s past a window for safe eating. Using your senses, and paying attention to how a product looks and smells, can be a more useful indicator of how safe an item is to consume.
Facing challenges as large as Land Phil can be daunting. However, it’s important to remember that big changes start from small ones—and that our daily habits can make a world of difference tomorrow.
