Half of food bought for Christmas often left uneaten, survey shows
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Some 50% of food bought by Irish households for the Christmas season often goes uneaten, a new survey has revealed.
According to research carried out by Too Good To Go, 37% of people feel pressure to over-cater for Christmas gatherings, which leads to "a mountain of food waste".
The survey's key findings also show that a quarter (25%) of consumers admit to wasting bread over the Christmas period, while 23% toss out seasonal sauces like cranberry sauce and brandy butter.
Elsewhere, some 25% of households are guilty of wasting a whole plate of food over the festive period, while 18% admitted to throwing away two or more.
"A lot" of Brussels sprouts were tossed out by 8% of households, while 16% also wasted a "moderate" number of carrots and potatoes.
Commenting on the findings, sales manager at Too Good To Go, Machaela O’Leary, said: “We all love the joy of a festive feast, but it's important to remember that food waste can have a significant impact on our planet.
"By taking simple steps like planning meals and using leftovers creatively, we can enjoy the holiday season without contributing to this issue.
"Together, we can make a difference and all contribute to reducing our food waste over the busy Christmas season.’’
According to Project Drawdown (2020), reducing food waste is the number one action people can take to help tackle climate change by limiting the temperature rise to just 2C by 2100.