IDEAS FOR ECO FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS DINNERS

CHRISTMAS DINNER - THE FACTS:

  • In the UK we consume 80% more food over Christmas than during the rest of the year.

  • Our excessive eating habits generate the same carbon footprint as a single car travelling 6,000 times around the globe.

  • We consumer an average of 10 million turkeys, 370 million mince pies and 205 million glasses of champagne in the festive period.

  • In total, we chuck away 230,000 tonnes of uneaten Christmas delights (the equivalent to 74 million mince pies or 2 million turkeys!)

IDEAS FOR A SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS DINNER

KEEP IT SEASONAL: In December brassicas are in prime. Brussel sprouts are in season as well as cabbage, cauliflower and the almost indestructible kale. Fresh root vegetables like parsnips, celeriac, swedes, leeks and turnips are also in good supply this time of year. There’s plenty of choice. Avoid foods from abroad that come with a high carbon footprint and keep it local, or at least UK based. Abel and Cole does a seasonal Christmas veg delivery box - which means skipping the supermarket queues and eliminating excess packaging.

GO ORGANIC: if you can manage Christmas without meat then this is by far the most sustainable option, but if that’s unthinkable then poultry - like traditional turkey - is far less carbon intensive that red meat. Support local farmers and, where possible, buy organic, free-range and supporting local farmers. Riverford Organics does a Christmas delivery box that should cover everything you need. For a lot of us, this can be unaffordable so try buying less food that is better quality.

WASTE NOT: transforming Christmas Day leftovers cuts waste, saves money, helps the planet AND there’s some delicious recipes that can be cooked up using surplus meat or veg. Jamie Oliver has a whole website dedicated to festive leftover ideas so you can get creative. If you can’t use peelings for decoration, or to add a bit of flavour to mulled wine make sure its composted.

IT’S FREEZING: Start making space in your freezer for any excess food on Christmas Day. If you’re hosting, think about how to package up leftovers to give guests (your old Tupperware would be fine!).

GIVEAWAYS: Donate leftovers to an elderly neighbour, or find your local soup kitchen who might be interested in using it. Compost any other waste or download the Olio app and offer your unused food to people in your area who will come and collect it.

Lizzie CarrComment