Feed People, Not Land Phil
Picture this—you’ve carefully packed a lunch on a school night, but by the time noon rolls around the next day, you’re craving something totally different. You might think it’s a good idea to throw your uneaten lunch away. But have you ever stopped to wonder where “away” actually is?
Food that gets tossed in the trash can ends up with our friend, Land Phil. He keeps all of our garbage in a safe place designed to protect the environment. But he doesn’t need your scraps—scientists estimate that 40% of food goes uneaten, filling up Land Phil and leaving less space for the stuff that he’s meant to handle. Plus, each stage from farm to home requires land, water, energy, and labor, meaning all those resources go to waste!
Land Phil wants Lincoln’s food to nourish the people that need it. So, how can we reduce our food waste and help feed hungry mouths instead of Land Phil?
Save it for Leftovers
Save your extra food for leftovers! You can finish it off later in the week, or take the scraps and make them into something new. Here’s an idea: Try turning mushy berries into homemade fruit roll-ups!
Use Your Senses
The phrases BEST BY, SELL BY, and USE BY describe food quality—not food safety.* Food may still be safe to eat past these dates. Use your senses instead of relying only on these labels. Look, smell, and taste to avoid food waste.
*Excluding infant formula.
Share the Love
If you don’t want something in your lunch or you end up with leftovers, try sharing or swapping with someone at your lunch table! Look out for food drives hosted at your school or in your neighborhood for another way to share food instead of wasting it. Common foods that are great for donating include canned meats, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, boxed meals, cereals, pasta, and rice.
Regrow It
Did you know that some vegetables can be replanted and regrown? Trim off the bottom of a head of lettuce, herbs, green onion, and celery and place in a cup or bowl of water to regrow some delicious, nutritious food!
Food waste can be tricky to reduce, but we hope this gives you a good place to start. Land Phil doesn’t need your scraps, so help him out and keep them out of the garbage! By using what we already have and sharing the rest, we can help take better care of our environment and our community.
Learn more at lovelandphil.com.
Land Phil’s Costume Challenge!
Halloween is just around the corner! Instead of buying a costume you’ll only wear once, why not create one from things you already have at home? Give items a second life with these easy costume ideas.
Athlete: Wear your favorite jersey or sports uniform and become an athlete!
Slumber party: Pajamas, slippers, and an eye mask make the perfect cozy costume.
Chef: Grab an apron, a whisk, and a mixing spoon, and you’re ready to cook up some Halloween fun.
Costume swap: Trade last year’s costume with a friend and give it a second life.
Land Phil: With a parent’s help, attach clean trash to a T-shirt and become Land Phil!
Learn more at lovelandphil.com.