Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Reducing Christmas Waste
Christmas is a time of enjoyment, spending quality time with family and friends, eating delicious food, exchanging gifts, and having some fun. But as we soak up the festive cheer, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on how our choices can impact on consumption and sustainability issues.
Did you know that during the Christmas season, waste increases by about 30% compared to the rest of the year? The biggest culprit is food waste, contributing around:
- 2 million turkeys
- 7.5 million mince pies
- 2 million kilograms of cheese
- 7.1 million pigs in blankets
- 17.2 million sprouts
- Enough gravy to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool
… all end up in the bin and every year!
It’s no wonder that 66% of people admit they buy more food than they need which too often goes to waste.
Gifts and cards also increase waste, including:
- 1 billion Christmas cards
- 227,000 miles of wrapping paper that’s not recyclable ends up in landfill. A lot of people forget that most wrapping paper and cards can’t be recycled due to their shiny finish or added glitter and sparkles.
- Every year, the UK spends £700 million on unwanted presents which instead creates waste and clutter and doesn’t make anyone happy!
So how does this look in real terms?
It’s hard to imagine what direct impact these huge numbers are already having on our planet. To give you some perspective though, 1 billion Christmas cards translates to 33 million trees being chopped down, and a further 50,000 for wrapping paper alone — every year.
Let’s do better!
The UK leads Europe as the highest food waste producer and Christmas doesn’t help! It’s estimated that the amount of poultry meat thrown away each year is enough to make 800 million Boxing Day curries, and the amount of wasted carrots is estimated to weigh the same as a herd of 636,000 reindeer. On average, UK households waste £79 worth of food and drink over the Christmas festive season.
But here’s the good news. Small changes can make a big difference! Planning your shopping better, freezing leftovers, or getting creative with recipes, can turn ‘waste’ into something delicious.
Simply remember…
As you prepare for the festivities, try to keep at least one of these numbers in mind. By reducing too much consumption and making better conscious choices, we can all save ourselves some money and be slightly kinder to the planet spending a little wiser.
Res Life Team
The Residence Life Team create a supportive & engaging living environment for students, ensuring their wellbeing and fostering a sense of community within the campus residences.
ResCycle
Welcome to ResCycle! 🌿 Our mission is to engage students in halls of residence to live sustainably, reduce waste, and inspire others with green living ideas. This is more than just an initiative—it's a community effort where every small action contributes to a bigger impact. Join us in building a legacy of sustainability, following in the footsteps of past residents and paving the way for future ones. Together, we can make a difference, one small step at a time. Let's make our halls greener and our planet healthier! 🌎🌱
