The city of Springfield is planning a new educational outreach program focused recycling — with tours of the city’s landfill among the offerings. To fund the initiative, the city is applying for a federal grant from the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress last year. According a 2017 waste composition study, more than 70% of trash in Springfield’s Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill could have been recycled.
“At that time, average landfill tonnage was around 650 tons a day. Over the course of the past 5 years, staff have seen significant landfill tonnage increases, with daily tonnage averaging approximately 1,000-1,200 tons per day. At this current rate, staff estimate that the life expectancy of the landfill is approximately 50 years to close,” an associated council bill says.
To slow down the accumulation of garbage at the landfill, the city is proposing a regional education and outreach program. To start, the city plans to complete a baseline assessment of residents’ knowledge of recycling, which will be used to create an educational campaign. If awarded, the federal grant funds will be used “to expand outreach and education efforts targeting Springfield residents as well as residents in our outlying communities that comprise our waste-shed,” said city education outreach coordinator Laurie Davis during Monday night’s City Council meeting.