 We’re all already playing Trash or Cash, whether we know it or not. That’s because when you throw away food, you throw away money.
Nearly 40% of all food in America is wasted – much of it coming from our homes. If you won in cash the amount of money you spent on food you threw away last year, you’d be thrilled. An average family of four loses more than $2,500 to wasted food every year!
Simply buying food you’ll eat and eating the food you have can make a big impact. Protect your paycheck and the planet today by visiting TrashorCash.org.
Here, you can sign up for Fridge Check Friday reminders, see how much cash is on the table for you with the Savings Calculator, watch contests try to win big in the Trash or Cash gameshow, get insights and tips from some of the biggest names in the local dining scene, and learn kitchen cash hacks.
 The Stop Food Waste Challenge is a month-long effort starting tomorrow, August 1, to help you notice when you are wasting food, commit to actions that will have the greatest impact in your household, connect you with helpful resources, and provide support and motivation along the way.
 Hennepin County recently awarded 17 Healthy Tree Canopy grants totaling nearly $434,000. Grant projects will take place in eight cities, on two affordable housing properties, at three schools, and through five nonprofit organizations, including congregations and neighborhood associations.
Grant funding will be used for a variety of activities, including conducting tree inventories, expanding the capacity of city forestry teams, treating or removing and replacing ash trees, educating residents on the benefits of trees, and engaging them in tree planting efforts. More than 920 trees will be planted or treated through the grant projects.
The grants will improve livability and reducing disparities by planting trees in areas experiencing disproportionate amounts of economic, environmental, and health inequities. The grants will also protect people and increase the county’s resilience to climate change by increasing the benefits that trees provide.
Learn about the grants awarded. For more information, contact trees@hennepin.us.
 Nikkolette’s Macarons in Plymouth received a $9,600 waste prevention grant from Hennepin County in 2023 to purchase reusable storage containers to replace disposable paper bakery boxes. This change is avoiding the use of 38,400 paper boxes every year! They are also serving as a model and mentor for start-up food businesses to reduce their packaging waste.
Waste prevention grant funding like what Nikkolette’s Macarons received is available for Hennepin County businesses and organizations.
 Hennepin County established a conservation easement earlier this year that permanently protects nearly 60 acres of critical habitat. The property, located near Minnetrista in western Hennepin County, boasts a diversity of native plant communities and wildlife habitat, including oak forest, grassland, a stream, and wetlands.
Conservation easements are a powerful tool for safeguarding natural resources, preserving wildlife habitat, and ensuring all of us continue to benefit from the value and services ecosystems provide in Hennepin County. A conservation easement is a set of development restrictions a landowner voluntarily places on their property to preserve its conservation value.
The natural areas preserved through conservation easements help protect and improve air and water quality, provide wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities, and increase property values. They also recharge groundwater, slow stormwater runoff, help control flooding, and sequester carbon. Investing in nature-based climate solutions, like land protection and restoration, is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase our resiliency to climate change.
This new conservation easement adds to the extensive matrix of over 4,000 acres of protected lands already established in western Hennepin County, and the county continues to expand land protection efforts. Learn more about assistance available to protect and improve habitat.
Hennepin County waste reduction and recycling staff coordinated supplies and volunteers to make recycling efforts a success at the Colombia Independence Day Celebration at Veterans’ Park in Richfield on July 20. Staff and volunteers helped the 2,000 attendees sort waste for recycling and organics recycling. During the event, about 1,500 pounds of food and paper were collected for composting and about 600 pounds was collected for recycling.
Hennepin County has resources for event coordinators to develop waste reduction plans, educate vendors, train volunteers and find collection options. Learn more about recycling at events.
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Free webinar: Producer responsibility for packaging in Minnesota – unpacking the process
Wednesday, August 7 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
 In the 2024 legislative session, Minnesota became the fifth state in the country to enact extended producer responsibility for packaging. The Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act is landmark legislation that will require producers of packaging to take responsibility for that packaging all the way from design to recycling or safe disposal.
Join this free webinar to learn the process of developing the bill and gaining stakeholder input and support. Hosted by the Product Stewardship Institute, the webinar will feature experts from Hennepin County who guided the bill over its three-year development, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency who provided important policy guidance, and Eureka Recycling who were among the bill advocates. The webinar will cover the cover the law's provisions, unique aspects, implementation timelines, and the collaborative leadership required to pass such significant legislation. There will be ample time for audience questions.
Learn more and register.
 Many animal shelters operate on limited budgets. So think of them the next time you’re decluttering, especially if you have items that aren’t suitable to donate to a thrift store.
Items you may be able to donate include:
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Pet supplies, toys, and enrichment, including gently used toys, leashes, harnesses, crates, food dishes, and grooming supplies
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Cleaning supplies, including bleach, dish soap, paper towels, and garbage bags
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Towels, blankets, and bedding, including bath towels, blankets, beds, crate cushions, and cleaning rags
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Office supplies, such as pens, notepads, envelopes, folders, and binders.
Remember to always call the shelter first to make sure they are accepting donations. See the latest blog on Choose to Reuse for more information on items you could consider donating to your local animal shelter.
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