Whether your favourite part of Christmas is putting up the flashing lights on your Christmas tree, or getting together with your family to celebrate, or rushing downstairs in the morning to open all of your carefully wrapped gifts, many would agree that one of the best parts of Christmas is indulging in an extravagant roast dinner. Nothing beats a roast turkey served with the much-loved roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and all the trimming. However, have any of you thought about how much food you waste on Christmas day?

A survey by Unilever, taken in 2014, shows the extent of how much food is being thrown away at Christmas. The survey shows that on average ten percent of every festive dinner is wasted, which equates to 64 million pounds’ - the equivalent of 4.2 million Christmas dinners - being thrown away on Christmas day. Unilever has revealed that the food we bin on Christmas day alone adds up to a shocking 263 thousand turkeys, 17.2 million brussels sprouts and 740 thousand slices of Christmas pudding.

The survey showed that on average a person will spend £112 on food alone for Christmas dinner. It revealed that one third of these people serve a Christmas dinner that they know they can’t finish, and twenty percent of those that took the survey admit to buying traditional Christmas food that they don’t even like. Whether it is because we are carried away by the Christmas spirit, or because all the shops and adverts make the food look so tempting, or because we are afraid to run out of food, it is clear that we waste an unnecessary amount of food on Christmas day.

Not only is the vast amount of wasted food a huge waste of money, but it is also having a negative effect on our environment. A survey shows that the equivalent of 15 million cups of turkey fat are poured down the drain each Christmas, which is more than enough to fill a swimming pool. Once all this turkey fat enters the sewers it hardens and can build up to form blockages; not the perfect Christmas present that everybody wishes for.

One of the key reasons that so much food waste occurs at Christmas is because of lack of planning and because it can be so hard to calculate exactly how much food will be needed. To plan more effectively, it is a good idea to decide how much you need in advance, and to always make a shopping list. It is also important that when you shop you stick to the list and are not tempted to overspend by advertisements or anything on offer in the store. Lesley, aged 46, said ‘I always make a shopping list, and I never go shopping on an empty stomach because when I do I always buy way too much.’ Since it is so hard to calculate in advance how much you will need it is always a good idea to find lots of recipes in case you have leftovers. Planning effectively will be even more important in 2017 as it is predicted that a combination of the falling pound and rising fuel prices will make the cost of food increase.

There are many ways to prevent the avoidable waste of food. Instead of just throwing all of the leftover turkey from Christmas day in the bin you can use it in a meal the next day, or freeze it and save it for later in the month. There are lots of ways to reuse leftover turkey such as in sandwiches, wraps and curries. If you have lots of vegetables left these can also be put in the fridge or freezer and can be reused in the few days following Christmas in meals like soups and casseroles. I talked to Anne about what she likes to do with her leftovers at Christmas; she said that ‘we usually have cold meats the next day, and I like to make croquettes and either a pie or pasta bake. If I have a lot of leftover vegetables I sometimes make soup.’

So, whilst everyone loves Christmas and enjoys an indulgent Christmas dinner, we must also remember not to waste food. When buying food, always make a shopping list and try not to buy more than you think you can actually eat. Before you throw your leftovers in the bin take a look on the internet for some imaginative recipes.