Food waste at Christmas: why prevention, not recycling, is the real gift to the planet
By Emma Douglas, Senior Lecturer in Events Management & Carbon Literacy Champion
Every December, as the festive lights go up and supermarket shelves groan under the weight of seasonal treats, one uncomfortable truth lurks behind the sparkle: Christmas is a time of excess.
And while we often pat ourselves on the back for recycling, the reality is that recycling alone won’t solve the climate crisis. It’s better than landfill, of course, but it’s not enough.
If we look at the UK government’s food waste hierarchy, recycling sits halfway down the ladder. At the very top is prevention – stopping waste before it happens, which is where we need to aim.
By doing so, it would help us meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for halving global food waste at both retail and consumer levels.
The scale of the problem
Food waste isn’t new, but the scale today is staggering. Post-World War II, only 3–5% of food was wasted. Now, one-third of all food produced for human consumption ends up as waste. This isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s social and economic too. While some face food poverty, others overconsume – contributing to obesity rates and strain on health providers like the NHS.
Environmentally, the impact is severe. When food rots, it releases methane – a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. If food waste were a country, it would rank as the third-largest emitter of carbon globally.
In the UK, we’ve grown used to abundance – cheap, disposable, and convenient. This “throw-away” culture fits our fast-paced lives but fuels the climate crisis. Breaking these habits is essential if we want to shift towards pro-environmental behaviours.
Christmas: the season of overconsumption
From farm to fork, waste happens at every stage of the food chain. And Christmas amplifies the problem. The festive season now starts earlier each year, encouraging us to buy more, eat more and, unfortunately, throw away more.
Advent calendars for example are a staple of December, however most come with non-recyclable sweet wrappers. A simple switch to a reusable calendar, where you choose what goes inside, cuts waste dramatically while simultaneously adding a personalised touch for loved ones.
Then there’s the Christmas dinner. A turkey from a butcher usually comes in recyclable cardboard box, while supermarket birds sit in plastic trays that often can be recycled. While this is certainly a positive step, the sheer volume of material going into recycling systems at this time of year can be overwhelming and detrimental.
Plastic film that often is found in supermarket packaging, especially on raw meats like turkey, is unlikely to be able to be recycled, which means straight to landfill.
Consumers could be more proactive by bringing reusable containers or bags to hold their shopping, whether that’s a large plastic box to collect the Christmas turkey, or canvas bags to carry loose vegetables. Small actions add up!
Overcatering is another culprit. Hosts often fear guests going hungry, so they buy extra “just in case”. This means more packaging, more expense and more leftovers. Without advance planning, we are prone to overbuying.
A simple shopping list, plus asking guests about preferences, cam help consumers to save money and prevent waste. Keeping the Christmas menu simple can also help to reduce stress and food waste simultaneously.
Finally, leftovers. Pre-plan their use: turn Christmas dinner scraps into Boxing Day pasties, or simmer bones into stock for soup. These small steps extend the life of your meal and cut waste.
The bottom line
Making Christmas food more sustainable isn’t about sacrifice – it’s about mindfulness. Think about how food is purchased, how much is bought, and what happens to leftovers. Prevention, not recycling, is the real gift we can give the planet this festive season.
