Skip to main content
Turn on more accessible mode
Turn off more accessible mode
Skip Ribbon Commands
Turn off Animations
Turn on Animations
FollowFollow Focus on Content Focus on Content
Website input:
Help us make our website better. Give us your feedback in a short interview.
Dakota County Logo
  • Maps & Directions
  • |
  • Departments
  • |
  • About Us
  • |
  • Contact Us
Dakota County Logo
  • Government
      • Board of Commissioners
      • County Attorney
      • County Sheriff
      • Commissioner Meetings
      • County Manager
      • Budget & Financial Reports
      • Performance & Analysis
      • Land Use Planning
      • County Policies
      • Data Practices
      • Advisory Committees
      • Other Public Committees & Initiatives
      • Doing Business with the County
      • Information Technology
      • Jobs & Volunteering
      • Public Employee Training
      • Other Public Entities
      • Voting & Elections
  • Home & Property
      • Pay Property Taxes
      • Property Tax Statements
      • Property Tax 101
      • Property Tax Programs, Homesteads & Credits
      • Important Dates for Property Owners
      • Assessing Property
      • Recording Property Documents
      • Property Watch
      • Foreclosed Property
      • Tax-Forfeited Property
      • Online Property Maps
      • Online Property Records
      • Homebuyer & Homeowner Programs
      • Aggregate Tax
      • Evictions
      • Plats & Surveys
      • Taxing Districts & Tax Increment Financing
      • Selling Property
      • Maps & Mapping Services
  • Permits & Licenses
      • Service & License Centers
      • Birth Certificates
      • Death Certificates
      • Marriage Licenses & Certificates
      • Passports
      • Driver's License
      • Motor Vehicle Titles & Registration
      • Recreational Vehicle Licenses
      • Game & Fishing Licenses
      • Professional Licenses
      • Gambling Permits
      • Liquor Licenses
      • Cannabis Permits
      • Gun Permits
      • Assembly Licenses
      • Building & Land Use Permits
      • Business Hazardous Waste Licenses
      • Well Permits
      • Waste Hauler & Facilities Licenses
      • Highway Permits
  • Law & Justice
      • Most Wanted
      • Warrants
      • Criminal Complaint Search
      • Report a Crime Tip
      • Crime Prevention
      • Jail
      • Juvenile Detention
      • Crime Victim & Witness Support
      • Alternatives to Court
      • Service of Legal Documents
      • Law Library
      • Contact a Probation Officer
      • Probation & Community Programs
      • Conditions of Probation
      • Probation Fees & Restitution
      • District Courts
      • County Ordinances
      • Fingerprinting Services
      • County Attorney News Releases
      • County Sheriff News Releases
  • Health & Family
      • Healthy Living
      • Job Search Assistance
      • Parenting Help
      • Personal Finance
      • Public Assistance
      • Adult Protection
      • Child Care
      • Child Protection
      • Child Support
      • Adoption
      • Chemical Health
      • Foster Care
      • Mental Health
      • Aging & Disability Services
      • Emergency Preparedness
      • Health Services
      • Veterans Services
  • Environment
      • The Recycling Zone
      • Recycling Guide
      • Residential Recycling & Disposal
      • Business Recycling & Disposal
      • School Recycling & Disposal
      • Environmental Education Resources
      • Water Resources
      • Energy
      • Land Conservation
      • Sustainability
      • Environmental Funding
      • Environmental Reports & Studies
      • Report an Environmental Concern
  • Transportation
      • Current Road Construction
      • Planned Road Construction
      • Road Safety
      • Transportation Studies
      • Traffic Counts
      • Getting Around the County
      • Highways & Your Property
      • Transit
      • Contact Transportation
      • Transportation Planning
      • Sales & Use Tax
  • Maps & Directions About Us
    Departments Contact Us
Dakota County Home
Residential Recycling & Disposal
 
Search
  • Home
    • Environment
      • Residential Recycling & Disposal
        • Organics & Food Waste at Home
          • Pages
            • prevent-food-waste

​Contact

Environmental Resources
952-891-7557
foodchallenge@co.dakota.mn.us

  • Reduce & Reuse
  • Recycling & Trash
  • Organics & Food Waste at Home
    • Prevent Food WasteCurrently selected
    • Composting at Home
    • Food Scraps Drop Off
    • Yard Waste Disposal
  • Household Hazardous Waste

Prevent Food Waste

Page Content

It takes a lot of water, energy and fuel to get food to our plates, yet we trash 40 percent of the food in the U.S.

Food is the largest part of our trash in Minnesota. In Dakota County, household trash usually ends up in a landfill where the food rots and produces methane, a greenhouse gas more than 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. ​

​What you can do

By implementing one, or all, of the tools listed below, you can reduce your food waste, save money and save resources.

Take a deeper look
Start paying attention to the food you toss in the garbage. Use the Track What You Toss Sheet  for a few weeks or a month to understand the foods that don’t get eaten.

Shop smarter
Before going shopping, think about how many lunches and dinners you will eat at home for the week.

  • Check your fridge and cupboards first and plan meals around what you have already.
  • Make a plan for the week, including quantities to avoid over purchasing.
  • Buy fruits and vegetables loose and only buy what you need. For example, take four bananas instead of six.
  • Avoid the “deals” if they are not on your list.  Buying large amount of a product is not a good deal if it ends up in the trash.
  • Know the difference between "sell by" and "use by" dates.

Prep now, cook later
Prepping some or all of your food for the week as soon as you get back from the grocery store will help you later in the week.

  • Wash, chop, slice, dry and store produce for the next few days. Freeze extras that you can't use right away.
  • Only cook the amount needed for that one meal if the leftovers won't eaten.
  • Cook large batches of meat and freeze smaller portions for later.
  • Use tools like BigOven or Allrecipes to search recipes by ingredient. You can also make easy-to-use shopping lists with Allrecipes.

Know how to store
Store foods in ways that prolong their life.

  • Learn the best ways to store produce to extend its shelf life using the Store It Guide.
  • Freeze any foods not eaten right away. Use air-tight containers to lessen the food’s exposure to air and freezer burn. Clearly label and date containers.
  • Don’t forget what you have. Use theKitchen Inventory Sheet to remember what’s in your fridge, freezer and pantry.

Eat what you buy
Planning, shopping and prepping is useless if the food doesn’t get eaten. Take note of actions that inspire you and your family to eat what you have.

  • Move food that should be eaten soon to a designated area in the fridge, and use those ingredients first.
  • Browse Savethefood.com or BigOven to get creative with leftover ingredients. Soups, smoothies, burritos and potpies are easy and delicious ways to repurpose leftovers.

Other resources

Video: Why does half of America’s food go to waste, PBS News Hour ​
Love Food, Hate Waste
I Value Food, Sustainable America

Last updated: 6/7/2024 3:55 PM

Administration Center
  • 1590 Highway 55
  • Hastings, MN 55033
  • Ph: 651-437-3191
  • Toll free: 800-247-1056
  •  
  • See all County buildings
    Social Media
  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Next Door
  • Sign up for E-News
    Quick Links
  • Home
  • Accessibility
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Language Translation
  • Job Opportunities
  • Make a Payment
  • Privacy Policy
Dakota County, Minnesota
Sign In