It takes a lot of water to produce the food we eat, the energy we use and all the things that we buy. Wasting food means wasting all the resources it took to produce that food. Use our water saving tips below to reduce your water use by not wasting food. You’ll find lots of ways to shrink your water footprint.
Waste less food. In the US, we waste about 40 percent of our total food supply every year, which also wastes 25 percent of all freshwater consumed annually.
Test your knowledge about food and water. Take the Water Footprint of Food Quiz to see how many you can get right.
Plan your meals so you only buy what you need and not more.
Cook and eat what you buy. Food ingredients are not for looking but for cooking, so go ahead and make something delicious with even the most random assortment of ingredients lurking in your kitchen.
Eat leftovers! If you want a change of pace, learn how to cook smart and turn leftovers into a new meal.
Store your food properly. A big part of keeping food from going bad is storing food properly in the first place.
Compost, if you do end up with food scraps or unwanted leftovers. Learn how and where you can compost to keep it out of the landfills. Learn more about composting.