1. Plan ahead
Retailers tell us that Christmas shopping for some products starts in September and picks up pace through October and November when customers start to spread the cost of buying seasonal Christmas food. But if you plan on making your fruitcake, mincemeat or Christmas pudding, early October is an excellent time to make and store it.
You can also add to your freezer in October or make extras like mulling syrup and flavoured alcohol for gifts. Anything like Christmas cake with a long shelf-life can also be bought early. Remember where you’ve stored it, and keep a list of what you’ve bought so you don’t buy duplicates.
Check out our Christmas cake recipes for inspiration.
2. Shop smart
Shopping online
Christmas shopping slots for online retailers are released early and book up, so it pays to think through what you might need if you want a particular turkey, for example, and then check what delivery dates are still open. Ordering online saves time (and individual car journeys) when you’re busy and are less likely to fall for impulse purchases. But if all your deliveries come in separate vehicles, a large shop from one place might be better.
Shopping locally
Shopping locally often means less packaging is needed, especially if you’re using reusable bags. Calculate what you’ll need to carry because – as anyone who’s lugged a turkey weighing several kilos knows – it isn’t easy to carry much in one go. See if you can get heavier items like cases of wine delivered and spread shopping trips out over several days. Shopping trolleys are very much in fashion for this reason. Buy one with decent wheels that will last.
3. Cut back on packaging
Christmas can come with an overload of packaging; some is necessary to keep food safe, and food does last longer when it’s shrink wrapped (up to 15 days in the case of raw meat and fish), so if you intend to shop early then factor this in. (You don’t want to avoid packaging only to make food waste.) Local shops that make food on the premises or are supplied by central kitchens are also less likely to sell produce in anything other than minimal packaging. It would cost too much otherwise. A turkey or joint from a reputable supplier, like a butcher or farmers’ market, often comes in no more than a cardboard box, whether you have it delivered or pick it up yourself. Buy big pieces of cheese rather than lots of little individually wrapped ones, and see if you can pick up loose fruit and veg. No one will mind if you take your own reusable bags. A bakery will likely use paper bags rather than plastic.
4. Enjoy leftovers
Most leftovers can be eaten as is, reheated and re-served. However, creating a new Christmas sandwich with leftovers is always popular – if you like sprouts, pickles, turkey and cheese all in one mouthful. Or reinvent what you have. Consider a cheeseboard mac ‘n’ cheese, bubble and squeak cakes or mince pie brownies. Our roast potato, turkey, sausage & stuffing pie makes excellent use of the classic big day leftovers.
Check out more Christmas leftovers recipes to ensure you don’t waste a single festive bite.
5. Prepare the fridge & freezer
Clear out your freezer by eating the contents in November before the festive season begins. This way, when you have leftovers you know you won’t eat straightaway, you’ll have room to store them. Remember to label them as well. According to WRAP (The Waste and Resources Action Programme), the easiest way to reduce food waste is to set your fridge temperature between 0 and 5C. On average, fridges are set at 7C, but lowering the temperature can make food last for up to three days longer.
Take the stress out of festive prep with our handy guide on what you can freeze at Christmas – perfect for making the most of your freezer space. Don’t miss our expert tips on how to make your freezer work for you and how to defrost your freezer to keep everything running smoothly this season.
6. Don’t overspend
We still throw away 18% of the food we buy on average. This comes at a cost, not just to planetary resources but to our pockets, too. Plan what you will eat (considering special dietary requirements) and only serve things you know will get eaten and drunk. If most people you invite hate bread sauce, for example, don’t make it. Buying loose fruit and veg means buying only what you need, and you can put everything in reusable bags. Make sure you store it correctly at home. Some fridges have drier environments, so you may need to keep veg under a damp cloth. If you’re unsure what extra bits and pieces you might need, buy frozen, canned or long-life foods that will last well into the new year. We waste lots of turkey in the UK, so why not buy a boned turkey breast or joint that will leave less waste and is easier to carve, too?
Explore our budget Christmas recipes for clever ways to create a festive feast without overspending. From affordable cuts of meat and simple flavour-boosting hacks to energy-saving cooking tips, we have everything you need for a delicious, wallet-friendly spread.
7. Buy reusable wrapping
We go through metres of foil, baking parchment and cling film at Christmas. Invest in reusable wax wraps and tin liners to cut down on both your costs and waste. Opt for recycled aluminium foil and FSC-certified baking parchment, roasting bags and paper cases – they reuse waste from other products. You can recycle both your turkey foil and mince pie cases, give them a quick clean if they are very dirty and scrunch the foil into a ball so it can be picked up easily when recycled. According to WRAP, if every household that cooks a turkey over Christmas puts the oil in the recycling, this would save enough energy for every household in the UK to watch over one day’s worth of Christmas TV. You can, of course, make your mince pies, and then you won’t have any little foil cups.
8. Don’t discard the peel
Get your knives sharpened. Sharp knives are easier to use and create less waste as you can cut more accurately. This year we’ve also tried to give up peeling our potatoes and veg where possible. If you do peel root veg you can keep and freeze the peels for making stock. A 2022 Indian study found that waste from fruit and veg, including peels and seeds, have high amounts of phytochemicals, dietary fibre, polyphenols and “bioactive compounds”, so they’re worth eating for their health benefits, too.
Read our guide on how to reduce food waste to avoid throwing away leftovers and surplus food.
9. Eat less meat
You don’t have to buy and cook a comedy-sized turkey; a smaller bird or turkey joint will cook more quickly and save power. You’ll also be less likely to waste meat if you’re not wading through it for days until boredom sets in. You could also cook a turkey joint in an air-fryer.
Adding more vegetables to your Christmas dinner in lieu of lots of turkey will help keep your carbon footprint down. Making one less meaty side dish—a veg-based stuffing such as traditional sage and onion stuffing, for example—will also help.
Add variety to your festive feast with our vegetarian side recipes – perfect for bulking up your spread. Or, make vegetables the star of the show with a vegetarian Christmas main and skip the meat entirely.
10. Use a portion planner
Worried about cooking the right amount for Christmas Day lunch? Our Christmas portion planner has you covered, ensuring everyone gets just the right amount – no waste, no stress!
Like this? Find more guides and recipes for reducing waste…
No waste Christmas recipes
Zero waste recipes for every day
How to waste fewer potatoes
No-waste Christmas meal plan
10 tips for reducing your single-use plastic waste