Christmas Waste Statistics: Shocking Facts & Sustainable Solutions

The festive season in the United States brings joy—and a staggering amount of waste. From mountains of wrapping paper to uneaten food, holiday packaging and consumption habits leave a lasting environmental impact. Below, we break down the most eye-opening Christmas waste statistics and share actionable tips to celebrate sustainably.

Looking for eco-friendly alternatives? Cut waste this year with our Reusable Christmas Crackers and Reusable Gift Bags.

Food & Drink Waste: The Festive Feast’s Hidden Cost 🎄

For many of us, overindulging in food (and / or drink!) is our favourite part of the Christmas season. However, the amount and type of packaging that these foods use is often given little thought.

• 10 million turkeys consumed in the UK last Christmas = 3,000 tonnes of plastic turkey packaging.

• 200 million pounds of turkey are discarded during Thanksgiving week in the U.S.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that between 30% and 40% of the food supply is wasted each year, with significant increases during the holiday season

Food waste rots in landfills, it decomposes anaerobically, producing methane—a greenhouse gas over 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Plastic packaging lingers for centuries, while glass takes 1 million years to decompose.

 ➜ Repurpose Leftovers: Transform surplus food into new meals to minimize waste.

 ➜ Plan Portions: Use tools like the “Guestimator” to accurately plan meal quantities and reduce excess.

 ➜ Use Reusable Party Hats and cloth napkins for festive meals.

Wrapping Paper & Gift Packaging: A Mountain of Waste 🎁

The tradition of gift-giving needlessly contributes significantly to holiday waste.

• The U.S. produces approximately 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper annually

• A 2019 study found that Americans spend an average of $5 billion on gift wrapping every year. (SDSU)

• Sending about 2.3 million pounds — half of all the made in USA gift wrap — to our overflowing landfills.

• 1.6 billion Christmas cards are bought and sent yearly = 33 million trees cut down.

Glittery or metallic wrapping paper contains plastic, contaminating recycling streams. Most cards end up in landfills, wasting resources and accelerating deforestation.

 ➜ Wrap gifts in reusable fabric with our Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Guide.

 ➜ Tag presents with Reusable Gift Tags instead of single-use paper.

 ➜ Digital Greetings: Opt for e-cards to reduce paper waste.

General Christmas Waste: The Alarming Big Picture 🗑️

• 25% more waste generated during the holiday season, totalling an additional 5 million tonnes of US trash.

• 30 million real Christmas trees are harvested each year in the US—out of 300-350 million that are growing. (Nature) (8 Billion Trees)
  

  States With the Most Christmas Trees	Trees Produced
  Oregon	8.5 million
  North Carolina	5.4 million
  Michigan	1.3 million
  Pennsylvania	839,000
  Wisconsin	657,000

  
  

• 98% of UK councils accept card recycling—but glitter-covered paper contaminates entire bins.

• An estimated $10.1 billion is spent on unwanted gifts each holiday season in the U.S.

Landfills emit methane, while unrecycled plastics break into microplastics that harm wildlife. Fake trees take 500+ years to decompose.

 ➜ Opt for Reusable Gift Bags that guests can regift.

 ➜ Learn how to avoid The Perils of Paper waste year-round.

 ➜ Thoughtful Gifting: Choose meaningful, durable gifts to reduce the likelihood of them being discarded.

 ➜ Experiential Gifts: Offer experiences instead of physical items to minimize material waste.

Recycling Tips: Reduce Your Festive Footprint ♻️

• Flatten cardboard boxes to save recycling space.   
• Use the “scrunch test” for wrapping paper: if it stays crumpled, it’s likely recyclable; if it bounces back, it may contain non-recyclable materials.
• Avoid glitter/metallic paper (it’s plastic-coated and non-recyclable).
• Don’t bin batteries (189 million used in UK Christmas toys)—recycle at designated centers.

Pro Tip: Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to power an iPad for 15 days!

Every small change adds up 🌍  Go Waste-Free This Christmas.

• Recycling one aluminium can powers Christmas lights for 2 hours.

• Reusing one gift bag saves 3kg of CO₂ vs. single-use paper.

• Choosing Reusable Christmas Crackers prevents 10+ paper crackers per household from landfill.

• Reusing gift bags and wrapping materials reduces the demand for new resources.

 

Ready to celebrate sustainably? 

Explore our Reusable Celebrations Shop for reusable party essentials that make a difference.

 

STATISTICS AND SOURCES:

• Food Waste: The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that between 30% and 40% of the food supply is wasted each year, with significant increases during the holiday season. 
• Thanksgiving Waste: Approximately 200 million pounds of turkey are discarded during Thanksgiving week in the U.S. 
• Wrapping Paper: The U.S. produces approximately 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper annually, with about half ending up in landfills. 
• Holiday Cards: Over 1 billion Christmas cards are discarded each year in the U.S. 
• Increased Waste: Americans generate 25% more waste during the holiday season, totaling an additional 5 million tons of garbage. 
• Unwanted Gifts: An estimated $10.1 billion is spent on unwanted gifts each holiday season in the U.S. 
• Energy Savings: Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power holiday lights for two hours. 
• Resource Conservation: Reusing gift bags and wrapping materials reduces the demand for new resources. 

These statistics highlight the significant documented environmental impact of holiday-related waste in the United States and underscore the importance of adopting sustainable practices during the festive season.