Food Waste Prevention

Did you know that according to the Natural Resources Defense Council each American throws away about 25 percent of the food they buy? For a family of four that adds up to about $1,600 per year on wasted food.

The good news it that each of us has the power to stop the waste. By making simple changes to the way we shop, store, and cook food, we can dramatically reduce the amount that ends up in the landfill.

Dakota County's website has a plethora of information, and has links to download meal planners, produce storage guides and information on understanding the difference between "use by" and "sell by" dates.

Organics Drop Off

Some food waste is inevitable. Kitchen scraps, meat trimmings and egg shells are all examples of food waste. Composting these items keeps a valuable resource out of the landfill. Dakota County has one free drop off site located at Thompson Park in West St. Paul. Residents can sign up to participate (it's free!) and take all food scraps and compostable paper there to be turned into compost. The compost is used in construction products by the Department of Transportation and is also used by farmers on their fields to incorporate valuable nutrients into the soil. To sign up to use the drop off site visit Dakota County's website.