Saving food from the landfill makes a deep impact on our planet and its resources, particularly water. Because when you throw away food, you’re throwing away all the water that went into producing it.

How deep does the well run exactly?  Well, think of it like this…

In seven years, Replate has saved over a billion gallons of water! It’s a milestone we marked this June, and a substantial achievement for our team.

For every pound of food rescued, about 273 gallons of water are saved. We’ve recovered quite a lot!

To understand in more detail, think of some of the common foods you eat. Almonds, for example.

Growing one almond requires 2-3 gallons of water. One! Throwing out even a small pack makes a difference.

Almonds make up approximately 17% of total agricultural water use in California and 13% of the total developed water supply in the U.S. 

In an agriculturally-driven state, where the climate crisis has struck particularly hard, water resources are limited and valuable, something the industry can’t afford to waste. The almond business alone is worth $6 billion to the state.

Yet most of the produce and food we eat require a surprising amount of water to produce:

• One cup of lettuce = 3 gallons of water 

• One pound of oranges = 67 gallons of water

• One pound of grapes = 73 gallons of water

• One pound of beef = 1,847 gallons of water

By donating food, repurposing or composting, you’re ensuring this resource was put to good use, not to mention preventing further pollution by diverting carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Small actions go a long, long way.

One billion strong! Onto the next billion…

To learn more about Replate, visit our website.