31% of Land We Use to Grow Food Is Wasted

A new study might make you think twice about how much food you throw away. Not only does 31% to 40% of American food go to waste, at a cost of $161.6 billion in 2010, but you're probably wasting more than you think—because almost 75% of Americans claim they waste less food than the national average, according to a survey of 1,010. Perhaps even more alarming: 31% of cropland in the US, 35% of fresh water, and 30% of fertilizer went in to producing food that later landed in the trash in 2010, according to a press release. How to get through to people? Researchers note that consumers tend to worry about their own financial costs, so educating people on that issue could help. (See what one supermarket is doing to help.)