Stop food waste, save money, feed your family, become a better cook, fight climate change
We love food, which leaves us wondering: why do we let so much of it go to waste? About 40% of food is wasted somewhere along the supply chain, and you may be surprised to learn that much of that food waste happens at home.
By taking the Stop Food Waste Challenge and committing to actions that reduce wasted food, we can save money, fight climate change, provide for our families, and improve our cooking skills.
 “As a mother, I was initially interested in controlling food waste as a way to save money. Saving money on my family's food made it possible for me to donate food to the local food shelf that was supported by my church. It wasn't until later that I learned how wasted food is also an environmental issue. So now I have several reasons for cutting my food waste,” said Anne S., a participant in the last Stop Food Waste Challenge.
How the challenge works
Create your profile, join or start a team, then browse the categories and actions. Select up to five one-time actions and five daily actions to make progress on during the four-week challenge.
It’s recommended that everyone starts with tracking their food waste for one week – it’s the best way to learn what’s going to waste in your household and identify ways to prevent it.
The challenge goes from August 1 through August 31. Join the challenge now at stopfoodwaste.ecochallenge.org.
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Hennepin County has finalized its Zero Waste Plan (PDF), concluding a 1.5 year long process that resulted in 62 actions to advance a zero-waste future. The actions were developed with extensive public feedback from more than 1,800 participants.
Feedback received during final public comment
A report (PDF) summarizing feedback received during the final public comment period and an outline of changes made to the plan as a result of the feedback is also available.
These materials and other plan documents and updates are available at beheardhennepin.org/zero-waste-future.
Next steps
The county’s waste reduction and recycling staff are now shifting to implementation of the plan’s actions.
We recently launched the Apartment Recycling Champions program, expanded education and outreach, and hired a food waste prevention specialist to establish a food waste reduction target and a plan to eliminate food waste.
We are planning for additional resources in the 2024 budget process that will support new initiatives to address plastics and collection of hard-to-recycle materials, increase assistance to community groups, businesses, multifamily properties and schools, and increase enforcement of the county's food waste and recycling requirements.
The county is also preparing to develop the next solid waste management plan. The Zero Waste Plan will serve as the foundation of the county’s solid waste management plan, which will be considered for board approval in 2024.
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 Hennepin County drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park will be open on Saturday, July 1 and closed for the Independence Day holiday on Tuesday, July 4. The drop-off facilities accept a variety of hazardous waste, problem materials, and recycling from residents.
 Hennepin County staff began biological monitoring, which involves tracking plants and animals on county properties and conservation easements, in 2022. New this spring, the county began monitoring for butterflies and bees.
The first year of data collection will establish a vital baseline inventory of what pollinators are present in the county. This data will be used to inform our habitat restoration and management decisions to create healthier ecosystems that are home to a diversity of species and resilient to climate change. For example, there are a number of non-native plants that attract non-native honeybees at many proposed habitat restoration sites. As we restore the habitat and establish more native plant species, we expect to see more native bees.
Pollinator surveys will be conducted three times per year – in the spring, summer, and fall. This helps us better understand the diversity of pollinators in an area, learn what species are prevalent at different times of year, and understand how species composition changes as habitat restoration projects are completed.
Most butterflies are captured and identified in a net, while bees are captured in a jar while they are feeding on a flower. Most insects are identified and released in under one minute, and all have been released unharmed.
For more information, contact Nicole Witzel at nicole.witzel@hennepin.us.
 Throughout June, the Twin Cities experienced several days with air quality alerts due to both wildfire smoke and weather that created conditions for the formation of ground-level ozone, or smog.
The first step in being prepared for poor air quality is to be aware of local conditions. Sign up to be notified of future air quality alerts and get information about current air quality conditions from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
During poor air quality days, stay healthy by limiting, changing, or postponing outdoor activities. Avoiding contributing to unhealthy air by reducing or avoiding driving, postponing backyard fires, and avoiding the use of gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment. Learn more about staying health during air quality alerts.
The debut Hennepin County Salvage Crawl, which took place in May, was a big success! Throughout the month, 101 participants entered to win prizes at the 13 retail locations.
The top five retailers drawing the most entries were Better Futures MN, Architectural Antiques, MN Tool Library, Habitat ReStore New Brighton, and Wood from the Hood.
 The Salvage Crawl brought out 87 first-time store visitors, and 26% of those first-timers made a purchase on their visit. Overall, 40% of the participants made purchases on their Salvage Crawl stops, ranging from cobblestone to cabinetry and lumber to tools and paint supplies.
One participant bought trim to match existing materials in an older home. Another is remodeling a bathroom in their Victorian house and searching for vintage materials. Several participants plan to use salvaged lumber to build raised bed garden boxes.
Learn more about the crawl on WCCO TV and WCCO Radio (starting at 4 minutes). For more information, contact Olivia Cashman at olivia.cashman@hennepin.us.
There is still time to apply for a Natural Resources Opportunity Grant and turn your environmental ideas into reality. These grants are available for larger projects to improve water quality or preserve, establish, or restore natural areas. Applicants are encouraged to use these funds as required match for other funding sources.
Learn about past Opportunity Grant projects by exploring the natural resources story map.
Apply for a grant
To apply, see the Opportunity Grant guidelines (PDF), then submit applications (DOCX) to Ellen Sones at ellen.sones@hennepin.us by Thursday, July 20.
Dutch Bar in northeast Minneapolis focuses on reusing building materials
The Dutch Bar, a new bar and restaurant in northeast Minneapolis, reused, repaired, and repurposed many of the materials in the remodeling of their space from office to bar.
The plan for the space centered around the bar, which was originally built for a barber shop in Chicago and found at an antique store in Buffalo. The bar top was crafted from a tree that fell in Prospect Park. The Dutch Bar also refinished and repaired the wood flooring, installed leftover tile from reuse stores, and repurposed light fixtures.
This project was supported by a $5,000 Hennepin County used building material installation grant. Read more in the Northeaster.
Get free help repairing broken household items at an upcoming Fix-It Clinics
Fix-It Clinics offer free, guided assistance from volunteers with repair skills to disassemble, troubleshoot, and (hopefully) fix small household appliances, clothing, electronics, mobile devices and more. Fix-It Clinics teach valuable troubleshooting and basic repair skills, build community connections, and reduce the number of repairable items that are thrown in the trash.
 Clinics are held on the second Saturday of every month from noon to 4 p.m., with the last items accepted at 3:30 p.m. Events are first come, first served. Items must be carry-in-sized. Bring any parts and supplies that might be helpful. The events are family friendly!
Upcoming Fix-it Clinics are scheduled for:
- Saturday, July 8 at Westminster Church in Minneapolis
- Saturday, August 12 at the Maple Grove Community Center
- Saturday, September 9 at the Brookdale Library in Brooklyn Center
Pollinator awareness month events at Ridgedale Library
 Ridgedale Library is hosting a series of events in coordination with Minnetonka’s monarch and pollinator awareness month and as part of the library’s Striving for Resilience climate series.
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Planting for Pollinators on Tuesday, July 11 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.: Join Minnetonka natural resources staff to learn about pollinators and their habitat needs. No cost but registration is required.
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Stories and art with author Phyllis Root on Tuesday, July 18 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.: Explore Root’s many books on nature and complete a pollinator art activity.
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Wings of Life movie showing on Saturday, July 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Watch a family friendly film to learn about the impact of pollinators on the global food supply.
While you’re at the library, check out Ridgedale Library’s climate and pollinator booklists.
It's officially summer, which means BBQs, pool parties, picnics, and lots of other fun, but potentially high-waste, events. With a little bit of planning, you can make any event low- or no-waste. See our green party checklist (PDF) for help with planning, and use the following tips to get started.
 Avoid disposables
Think about all the materials that will be at the party including packaging, decorations, and dishware. Try to eliminate as many disposable materials as possible by using reusable, compostable, or recyclable options instead.
- Use large beverage containers or jugs to fill reusable or compostable cups to avoid single-use water bottles or beverage containers.
- Use decorations that can be reused in future years, are recyclable or compostable, or that can be borrowed from a friend who has thrown a similar party. Consider natural elements like flowers, greenery, and seeds as an alternative to balloons, streamers, and confetti.
- Serve food using reusable serving ware, dishes, and utensils. If you don’t have enough for your party, ask some party guests to help out and bring extras or stock up at a local thrift store.
Collect recycling and organics
Make sure you have access to recycling, composting and trash containers before your party, label them with clear signs that include examples of what should go in each container, and place them together in a convenient location to form a waste station. You can order waste container labels or download and print event recycling signs.
Minimize wasted food
 Try to get an accurate count of guests ahead of time to avoid having too much food. Plan food that can be purchased with minimal packaging and in the amount you need, such as loose fruits and vegetables and snacks from the bulk section of the grocery store. Or visit a local farmers market to get local, in-season food. For potlucks, ask guests to bring their food in reusable dishes.
During the party, pay attention to how long food has been out and safely store it so you can save leftovers. If you think you’ll have leftovers, provide reusable containers for guests to use to bring leftovers home.
Be intentional about games and gifts
Avoiding buying new games for your party by renting inflatable or large carnival-type games for kids or asking attendees to bring their own games to share. If your integrating arts and crafts, choose activities that use recycled, used, reusable, or natural materials.
Think ahead about gifts you are giving or that you may receive. Specify no gifts or let attendees know you prefer gifts of experiences, consumables like food or drinks, or other lower waste options.
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