How To Make Your Christmas Meal Sustainable
Research carried out by lovefoodhatewaste.com found that we are saving £3.4 billion a year on food waste between us compared to 2007, and with that comes the saving of five million tonnes of carbon dioxide. That’s the equivalent of taking 2.2 million cars off the road. So, creating as little food waste as possible really does make a difference. However, we still throw away 18% of the food we buy on average. That figure doesn’t even include the packaging waste we dispose of.
I’ve put together these 7 quick fire tips to help you be a little more mindful of the environment this Christmas so that we can help reduce that food waste figure even further.
1. One of the major things to point out is that buying local is best. By purchasing local foods we cut down on the foods air miles and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Investing in a locally bred and organic Christmas turkey can also help reduce our carbon footprint as a kilogram of turkey creates notably less carbon than beef, lamb, pork and cheese.
2. It’s a well known fact that a diet that includes lots of vegetables is kinder on the planet than when it’s flown in from Kenya or the Far East as it loses a lot of its green credentials then. Good news for us is that the traditional Christmas veg in the UK are seasonal for this time of year so embracing the winter vegetables is not only good for our health but also for the environment.
3. Try ordering from suppliers that use minimal packaging, like your local farm shop or butchers. In the UK we generate 2.4million tonnes of waste for packaging alone EVERY YEAR. Do your bit and try to reduced the waste that you generate at home.
4. If you are doing your shop at a supermarket then order it for delivery. Having one vehicle on the road delivering multiple orders rather than multiple vehicles on the road getting their own shopping will help reduce emissions.
5. Swap your kitchen essentials. Try not to use single use foil or cling film and instead switch to reusable alternatives, such as these reusable food wraps made from cotton and beeswax. They will keep your food fresher for longer than other not so eco-friendly alternatives.
6. Get inventive with the leftovers! Turkey curry's, sprout soup or even Christmas pizzas are better than your waste food ending in landfill where it will take ages to decompose and will release toxic chemicals in the process. We turn a lot of our vegetable leftovers into biscuits for the dog, the perfect Christmas treat for him!
7. My final tip is to reduce your waste. Use your freezer to freeze leftovers and make sure you’re popping your peelings and scraps on the compost heap. You’ll reap the rewards in the summer then!