If you’re one of those people who love cooking but are also trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle, you’re probably already looking out for things like plastic and food waste, but have you thought about your water waste?

Water is one of the first resources affected by climate change, and people around the world struggle with the effects of droughts every day. It might feel like the UK has more water than it knows what to do with, but England is in fact on track to suffer shortages in the next 25 years. To combat this, we all need to reduce our water usage by as much as one third.*

But I’ve got some good news. Turns out it’s super easy to save water in the kitchen, and not only does it help the environment, it also saves you money on your utility bills!

Don’t throw away unused water

Instead of pouring unused water down the drain (from stale glasses of water for example), use it to water your plants or pour it on your lawn. This works especially well with the melted water from Gousto ice packs!

You can even collect the running water you use, such as from running the tap for cold water, so both you and your plants get a drink.

Wash fruit and veg in a bowl

A running tap wastes 6 litres of water a minute. Try using a bowl of water to wash your fruit and veg instead, then reuse this water on your plants or lawn too.

Keep water in the fridge

Avoid running the tap altogether – fill up jugs and glass bottles of water and keep them in the fridge for an immediate cold water supply. You could even use a carafe so you’re always ready to impress your guests.

Don’t rinse your dishes

You might have been raised to always run your dirty dishes under the tap before putting them in the dishwasher. This is one rule you should be breaking! Scrape your plates thoroughly into the food bin, and there should be no need to waste running water.

Fill your dishwasher before using

The good news is modern dishwashers actually use less water than washing up by hand – as long as you fill it up before you put a wash on. A few large loads use a lot less water than lots of smaller ones. Save water (and time!) by waiting until your dishwasher is bursting before turning it on.

Fix leaks immediately

A dripping kitchen tap can waste up to 80 litres of water a day. Try to check that your tap is properly turned off the same way you would check the hob or oven before leaving the house, and get any leaks fixed as soon as possible.

Eat more plant-based meals

Animal products, and especially beef, have a large water footprint. This means it takes a lot of water to produce that food. Our diets actually make up around half of all the water we use, so one of the biggest things you can do to reduce that number is to eat more plant-based foods. Not sure where to start? Check out the vegetarian and plant-based recipes on our menu.

Looking for more on living sustainably? Check out our posts on 12 Food Scraps You Didn’t Know Were Edible, 9 Simple Ways To Reduce Plastic Waste, and How To Recycle Your Recipe Box. And if you have any of your own water saving tips, let me know in the comments!

*Source: The Guardian