If you always have leftovers, you better make room for them.

Check out BBC Good Food’s A Freezer Guide to Christmas for recipes. Some foods like pastries, sauces, and stuffing can be made and frozen. Things like Christmas cakes, puddings and mince pies can be made weeks in advance. One way to cut down on the packaging is to have a go at making some of your own festive treats. Sure, Christmas pudding is a classic, but do you, your family or friends actually like it? Make your festive treats from scratch Is there anything that you buy every year that you find yourself throwing away before it’s been eaten? Consider leaving regular “waste offenders” off the list, or go for smaller amounts that will get eaten. Include treats in your shopping list so you’re not tempted to buy more than you need in the shop.Ĭheck your list against what you have in the cupboards, make sure you aren’t duplicating anything you already have. Plan your meals in advance and stick to your shopping list. Don’t shop when you’re hungry and always have a list You can also cook large batches of food in advance and freeze them in portion sizes, so you only need to defrost the amount needed at mealtime. The BBC’s Christmas portion planner can help you work out how much to cater for larger groups.Īvoid overcooking by sticking to your portion planner.

Avoid overbuying by planning each meal and the number of portions you need before you go to the shops. But in reality, it is a waste of food and money. Overbuying and overcooking is so common during the festive season it almost feels like a tradition. Try these tips from our rubbish experts to reduce the amount of wasted food, reuse festive leftovers and recycle any unavoidable food waste. So, what can we do? How to reduce your festive food waste We’re sure it won’t take much convincing to show you that these numbers are way too high. And £67 million worth of oranges (there’s always one in the Christmas stocking!) 🍊.Food wasted at Christmas is the equivalent of: During these seasonal celebrations, millions of tonnes of food will be left uneaten and thrown in the bin.

The festive period is short but includes a whole sweep of holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year.

Prepare for a not so jolly festive fact… over the festive season the UK throws away the equivalent of 74 million mince pies in food waste!

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