Springfield, Missouri, to host landfill tours as part of recycling education program

To slow down disposal rates at its nearby landfill, the city of Springfield, Missouri, is proposing a new regional education and outreach program.

As reported by the Springfield News-Leader, the city plans to apply for a federal grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress last year.

According to a 2017 waste composition study conducted by the city, more than 70 percent of Springfield’s trash taken to the Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill could have been recycled.

“At that time, [the] average landfill tonnage was around 650 tons a day. Over the course of the past 5 years, staff [has] seen significant landfill tonnage increases, with daily tonnage averaging approximately 1,000-1,200 tons per day. At this current rate, staff estimates that the life expectancy of the landfill is approximately 50 years to close,” an associated council bill says.

The city plans to complete a baseline assessment of residents’ knowledge of recycling, which will be used to create the educational plan. If awarded federal grants for the initiative, Springfield officials say the 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.”

The city also plans to allow residents a close-up view of the landfill to encourage them to rethink their perspectives toward throwing material away, the News-Leader reports. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $75 million in funding through fiscal year 2026 for a new Recycling Education and Outreach Grant Program. The EPA will award approximately 25 of the grants, with at least one award per EPA Region. A municipality awarded a grant would receive a minimum of $250,000 and up to $2 million. Grant awards are expected to be announced by April.