Christmas celebrations worldwide generate significant environmental impact through various forms of waste. Cards, gifts, gift wrapping, electronics, and plastics contribute to overflowing landfills across Europe, USA, Australia, and other countries. Additionally, food wastage and the disposal of both real and artificial Christmas trees make it one of the most environmentally harmful festivals.
A report published on 9 December 2024, revealed that 70% of people acknowledge purchasing excessive food for Christmas celebrations. Over-purchasing results in approximately 230,000 tonnes of food being discarded during the festive season.
This report compiles 25 facts about Christmas-related waste and its environmental impact.
Wasted Christmas Cards
Card Volume in the UK:
Royal Mail estimates 150 million Christmas cards are delivered during the Christmas period.
Other sources claim one billion Christmas cards are sold annually in the UK.
Card Usage in the UK:
On average, each person in the UK sends and receives 17 Christmas cards.
Each person discards 24 Christmas cards after the celebrations.
The average cost per Christmas card ranges between $2 and $5.
Card Volume in the USA:
Hallmark and the Greeting Card Association estimate 1.3 billion cards are sent by Americans annually.
Environmental Impact of Cards:
It takes one tree to produce 3,000 Christmas cards. A single tree is only enough for 176 people to send cards.
Over one billion discarded Christmas cards worldwide equate to 33 million trees.
Distance Covered by UK Cards:
The volume of cards used in the UK during Christmas could stretch the distance between London and Lapland (and back) 103 times. This is equivalent to the distance between Delhi and Bengaluru.
Packaging and Card Usage:
The total number of Christmas cards and associated packaging used in the UK could cover the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, India, about 130,000 times or Big Ben in London 260,000 times.
Financial Insights (USA):
The U.S. greeting cards market generated $7.45 billion in revenue in 2022 and is expected to reach $8.17 billion by 2030.
Americans spend approximately $2 billion annually on Christmas cards, accounting for 25% of all greeting card sales.
Miles and Miles of Waste Packaging Material
Wrapping Paper Usage in the UK:
Consumers in the UK use 227,000 miles (365,321 km) of wrapping paper each year.
This is equivalent to the distance between Kashmir and Kanyakumari (around 3,000 km) being covered approximately 100 times.
Wrapping Paper Usage in Australia:
Australians use over 150,000 km of wrapping paper during the festive season.
This is nearly enough to wrap around Earth’s equator four times.
Additionally, an estimated $921 million worth of presents go to waste.
Potential Savings in the USA:
If every American family reused materials to wrap a minimum of three presents, enough paper could be saved to cover 45,000 football fields.
Environmental Impact of Christmas Trees
Global Tree Cutting for Christmas:
120 million trees are cut down every Christmas worldwide.
These trees contribute 2–3 billion kilograms of carbon footprint annually.
Tree Consumption by Country:
Great Britain: Consumes approximately 8 million Christmas trees annually.
United States: Sells between 35 and 40 million Christmas trees each season.
Tree Disposal in the UK:
An estimated 160,000 tonnes of Christmas trees are discarded in the UK every January.
Christmas Tree Market Growth:
Market value in 2023: USD 7.68 billion.
Projected growth from 2024 (USD 8.1 billion) to 2032 (USD 11.27 billion).
Plastic and Food Waste During Christmas
Plastic & Packaging Waste:
The UK discards plastic waste at Christmas equivalent to the weight of 76,000 giraffes.
Approximately 2.1 million metric tons of plastic packaging waste were generated in the UK in 2023.
Australians use 150,000 kilometers of wrapping paper during Christmas, enough to wrap around Earth’s equator four times.
Fairy Lights Waste:
Christmas fairy lights discarded each year could stretch 70,000 miles—almost three times the Earth’s circumference.
In the UK, 13,350 tonnes of glass are disposed of over the festive period, adding to environmental concerns.
Food Waste in the UK:
£12.8 billion spent on groceries during Christmas in 2022, with significant food waste:
- 2 million turkeys, 5 million Christmas puddings, and 74 million mince pies disposed of while still edible.
- Total food waste: 270,000 tonnes.
Seven in ten people admit to over-purchasing food, resulting in 230,000 tonnes of food being wasted.
2 million kilograms of cheese wasted—equivalent to the weight of 2,000 great white sharks.
11.3 million potatoes, 9 million carrots, and 7.1 million pigs in blankets wasted during the festive season.
Beer consumption over the holidays could fill 57 Olympic-sized pools—equivalent to 250 million pints.
Wastage in Ireland:
97,000 tonnes of packaging waste generated during Christmas in 2022.
50% of food purchased for the Christmas period goes uneaten.
25% of households admit to wasting bread, from uneaten loaves to crusts.
Christmas Waste in New Zealand:
Waste generated could fill 14,000 shipping containers, stacked three times the height of Mount Everest.
Wastage In Australia
Over 5 million tonnes of food wasted annually, enough to fill 9,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
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