Item Description:
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Amd 1 to Agmt PR00005401 with Padilla to continue work on broad food waste prevention campaign, ext end date to 12/31/26, incr NTE by $395,000 for a new total NTE of $995,000
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, that Amendment 1 to Agreement PR00005401 with Padilla to continue development and implementation of a broad, consumer-focused, behavior-change campaign to reduce wasted food at home, extending the contract end date to December 31, 2026 and increasing the not to exceed amount by $395,000 for a new total not to exceed amount of $995,000, be approved; that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the Amendment on behalf of Hennepin County; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed.
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Background:
Nearly 40% of all food in the U.S. goes uneaten. Reducing the amount of food that ends up in the trash represents an opportunity to significantly reduce waste, better use resources, act on climate change, and address food insecurity. Preventing wasted food is a county priority. It’s a foundational strategy of the county’s Climate Action Plan and is a top action to accelerate a zero-waste future and reinvent our solid waste system.
While wasted food happens across the supply chain, most food waste happens at home. However, studies have shown that people don’t think they contribute significantly to the problem or believe wasted food is inevitable. ReFED (a collaboration of more than 30 industry, nonprofit, foundation, and government experts leading U.S. efforts to address food waste) has identified consumer behavior change campaigns as one of the highest impact food-waste-prevention solutions.
In 2023, Hennepin County contracted with Padilla to develop the Trash or Cash campaign to raise awareness and motivate residents to make changes at home, while grocery shopping, and on-the-go (Resolution 23-0248).
Research has found that avoiding wasted money is a powerful motivational driver for reducing food waste. The campaign’s game show theme is a fun, humorous approach to grab attention and connect residents to helpful resources.
Initial campaign promotions have exceeded every objective and have empowered residents by providing tips, tricks, tools and reminders as they adopt new behaviors to prevent food waste. The campaign launched in April 2024 with media outreach for Food Waste Prevention Week, and ads ran via online streaming and social media channels from June 2024 through April 2025.
The campaign launch generated in-depth coverage in five media outlets with a reach of over 400,000 people and campaign ads generated more than 10 million impressions, successfully reaching a broad audience with multiple touchpoints. The gameshow segments were engaging for the audience, achieving a 96% video-completion rate. Local celebrity chefs were recruited to be influential messengers and recorded videos sharing their tips for avoiding wasted food. Resources to help residents reduce wasted food and save money were downloaded from the campaign website, TrashorCash.org, more than 500 times. There are more than 2,000 subscribers to Fridge Check Friday emails who receive weekly reminders and tips to help prevent food waste. More than 60% of subscribers who responded to a survey said they are more aware of when they are wasting food at home, and about 80% of respondents said they have made changes to prevent wasted food at home.
The contract extension will build on these successes and focus on expanding campaign messages to integrate food-related seasonal and cultural touchpoints and distribute messages through new channels, such as streaming TV, culturally specific radio, and grocery store partnerships.
Current Request: This request seeks an Amendment to Agreement PR00005401 with Padilla to continue to develop and implement a broad, consumer-focused, behavior-change campaign to reduce wasted food at home, extending the contract end date to December 31, 2026, and increasing the not to exceed amount by $395,000 for a new total not to exceed amount of $995,000.
Funds for this campaign are included in the Environment and Energy budget. Funding for this agreement comes from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund.
Impact/Outcomes: The services funded under the Amendment to Agreement PR00005401 will build on the campaign’s successes and expand on the existing behavior change strategy and campaign to further raise awareness about and reduce residential food waste in Hennepin County.
This contract supports the county’s zero-waste and climate-action goals. Food accounts for the single largest material type in our waste stream and is one of the top five materials for climate emissions. This campaign also supports increased food security, which is a pillar of the disparity reduction health domain.
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval