December 11, 2025

Have Yourself a Very Unwaste-y Christmas with The Great Unwaste

Categories: Kitchen Mastery Unwaste Guides

While the holidays are for sharing, celebrating, and enjoying good food, they’re also when household food waste can increase.  

The equivalent of more than 54 million plates of edible food are expected to be discarded across Christmas week alone. Research from End Food Waste Australia (EFWA) shows that almost 60% of household food waste is edible, and most of that ends up in landfill. The environmental and financial impacts are significant . 

You can reduce your food waste over the Christmas period by following our 7 tips especially for the silly season. 

1. Plan your fridge and eski space

Have a think about how much fridge and eski space you’re going to need before hosting Christmas dinner.  Borrow an eski or ask a neighbour if they can spare a shelf in the fridge for a couple of days so you can keep food cool.  

2. Fridge Food Fast

Christmas in Australia can be hot! Save your festive foods and get them back into the fridge or eski pronto so you can enjoy the leftovers.  

3. Divvy up the dishes

Potluck is not so lucky when you end up with 3 trifles on Christmas day. Get your ducks in a row early and decide who is bringing what to make sure you’re not wasting food this Christmas. 

4. Check whose coming

Reduce your food waste this Christmas by chasing down those RSVPs. Knowing who is coming for dinner… and if they’ve been out for breakfast and lunch beforehand, can help you plan the right amount to buy and cook. 

5. Donate where you can

Generosity is one of the best things about the holidays. If you’re lucky enough to have surplus that can be donated reach out to your local food relief organisation. It’s much better than it going to waste! 

6. Plan instead of panic

Don’t let public holiday supermarket closures create chaos. Save your money and the planet by planning meals that use Christmas leftovers. Toasties, pastas and muffins use pantry staples to magic leftovers into meals. 

7. Let guests serve themselves

Any chance to do less is a good thing. Serve your holiday feast buffet-style and let guests file past and pile their own plates. They’ll waste less when they get the chance to choose which foods and how much. 

See how much you can reduce your food waste over the break and head to our social media channels to share these tips with your friends.

Wishing you an unwasteful and happy holiday break!