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The end of each year offers a chance to reflect on highlights from our work to advance a zero-waste future, protect land and water, and promote environmental stewardship. We’re so grateful to work with residents and partners to protect the environment, take climate action, support healthy communities, and advance equity.
Advanced zero-waste policy
- Set a target to cut the amount of edible food discarded in half and finalized a Wasted Food Prevention Plan that provides a roadmap for reaching this target.
- Started offering grants for community-based zero-waste projects and to help food security organizations rescue and distribute more food.
Worked with residents and partners across the county to protect land and water
- Removed dead and diseased trees on properties of residents with lower incomes.
- Sold, gave away, and planted more than 17,000 trees.
- Partnered with landowners to preserve natural areas forever.
- Worked with farmers to install projects that protect water, make soil healthier, and improve their operations.
Facilitated opportunities for residents and partners to learn, act, and connect with their community
- Offered new Swap-It Events, our always popular Fix-It Clinics, and a Reuse Ride to kick off the Salvage Crawl.
- Provided volunteer training programs, Environmental Education Network meetings, and learning events about forestry and composting.
- Provided school recycling assemblies to nearly 6,000 students, gave free compost to 21 schools, and offered 40 presentations and training sessions at multifamily properties on food waste prevention, recycling, and organics recycling.
- Facilitated online challenges and pledges and won the Mighty Mississippi Cleanup Challenge for the second year in a row.
Provided grants for environmental projects
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Provided $7 million in funding and expert assistance for 286 projects that improve recycling and prevent waste, protect and restore land and water, and educate and engage audiences in protecting the environment.
Expanded our offering and promotion of drop-offs and collections
- Collected hazardous waste and recyclables at our drop-off facilities and collection events.
- Offered building material donation events, yard sign recycling collections, medicine drop boxes, funding for new organics recycling drop-off sites, and promotion of paper shredding events and services.
Ensured businesses complied with regulations
- Inspected 860 businesses to ensure they are complying with hazardous waste and recycling regulations.
- Visited over 400 businesses and multifamily properties to provide in-person waste prevention and recycling assistance and education.
Hennepin County completed a third successful year of the Apartment Recycling Champions program in 2025. Through the program, 11 residents at multifamily properties were hired for three or six months to distribute education materials, monitor trash and recycling areas for contamination, respond to resident questions, set up recycling bins in their building’s common areas, and educate and inspire their neighbors to reduce waste and recycle more.
The 2025 champions reached people in over 1,500 units at 10 multifamily properties. The properties ranged from a small 5 unit building all the way up to a complex with more than 1,000 units across 3 buildings.
Champions served as a trusted resource, communicating with their neighbors in culturally relevant ways.
"The most positive outcome for me participating in this program is that I had the opportunity to get to know more of my neighbors. It just feels good to try to make a difference in my community," shared one of the champions.
Overall, champions were proud of the work they completed and saw the impact in their building. "There is so much bad news about the environment and climate that we can feel not just hopeless but helpless,” another champion said. “Engaging my neighbors in the concrete things we can do that make a big positive difference, like recycling, was huge. It helped them feel part of a solution!"
Learn about apartment recycling resources and assistance.
As we head into the new year, consider making a resolution to take care of yourself, your community, and the planet. Here are six ideas:
1. Protect our lakes with Lake Pledge
Join Lake Pledge to learn what you can do to protect your favorite lakes by preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species. Whether you enjoy boating, fishing, kayaking, or walking your dog, Lake Pledge will help you discover what actions you can take to keep our waters healthy.
2. Take the Plastic-Free Challenge
Kickstart your plastic-free journey with the Plastic-Free Challenge this February! Be part of the solution to reduce waste, protect water and wildlife, address climate change, and look after the health of ourselves and future generations.
3. Choose cash over trash with Fridge Check Fridays
The average family of 4 throws away $3,000 in food every year. Sign up for Fridge Check Fridays to get weekly reminders and tips to use up your food and keep your cash out of the trash.
4. Adopt a storm drain
Prevent water pollution – right on your street. Do your part to keep leaves, grass clippings, and trash from washing into lakes and streams and prevent flooding on your street by adopting a storm drain. It takes just a few minutes a few times a month, and the impact adds up – volunteers with Adopt-a-Drain have cleared 1 million pounds of debris from storm drains since the program began in 2015!
5. Visit a drop-off facility
Hennepin County’s drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park offer a convenient way to safely dispose and recycle many items that don’t belong in the trash or recycling at home. In just one trip, you can get rid of appliances, batteries, cardboard, electronics, household cleaners, paint, plastic bags, string lights, and more. Check the Green Disposal Guide for materials accepted and guidelines.
6. Attend a forestry learning session
Hennepin County foresters offer free monthly learning opportunities that require no previous knowledge. Sessions planned for 2026 include identifying trees in winter, making tree puppets, pruning fruit trees, and selecting the right tree for your location.
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