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The Hidden Cost of Christmas
Christmas is a wonderful time, but it also has a significant impact on the environment due to the increase in consumption, waste and resource use. Here are some eye-opening statistics that show how Christmas traditions can affect the planet:
1. Christmas Waste
Wrapping Paper: In the UK alone, around 227,000 miles of wrapping paper are used each Christmas, with millions of rolls ending up in landfills because they contain plastic or glitter, which makes them non-recyclable.
Christmas Cards: Roughly 1 billion Christmas cards are sold in the UK each year. If laid end to end, these cards could cover the distance between London and Sydney five times!
Food Waste: Around 270,000 tons of food are wasted during Christmas in the UK, including 2 million turkeys and 74 million mince pies. That’s equivalent to filling over 6,000 double-decker buses!
Lots of Christmas wrapping paper can't be recycled because it contains materials like plastic or glitter.
2. Plastic Consumption
Gifts and Packaging: A large proportion of holiday gifts come in single-use plastic packaging. It’s estimated that 114,000 tons of plastic packaging will be thrown away in the UK alone over the holiday season.
Christmas Crackers: Many Christmas crackers contain small plastic toys or trinkets that are quickly discarded. A typical box of six crackers might contain enough plastic waste to outweigh a plastic bottle.
3. Christmas Trees
Real vs. Artificial Trees: In the UK, 6 to 8 million real Christmas trees are bought each year. If not disposed of properly, they release methane—a potent greenhouse gas. On the other hand, artificial trees require significant resources to produce and often contain non-recyclable materials like PVC.
Carbon Footprint: A real tree that’s properly recycled has a carbon footprint of around 3.5 kg of CO2, while an artificial tree has a footprint of about 40 kg of CO2. An artificial tree must be used for at least 10 years to match the impact of a real tree.
Discarded Christmas trees produce lots of greenhouse gases.
4. Christmas Jumpers
Single-Use Clothing: Around 12 million Christmas jumpers are purchased each year in the UK, and 95% contain plastic materials like polyester. Many jumpers are only worn a few times before being discarded, contributing to the fashion industry's already significant environmental impact.
5. Energy Use
Christmas Lights: The increased use of Christmas lights can lead to a surge in energy consumption. In the UK, Christmas lights consume an estimated 189 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year. This is enough energy to power approximately 31,000 homes for an entire year!
Christmas lights lead to a surge in energy consumption.
6. Transport Emissions
Travel and Gift Shipping: Christmas sees a surge in both personal travel and shipping for gifts. In the UK, it’s estimated that Christmas travel emissions produce an additional 5.5 million tons of CO2, largely due to car and air travel.
Reducing Christmas Impact
Small actions—such as reducing gift wrapping, buying fewer single-use items, or supporting sustainable gifts—can collectively make a huge difference in minimising Christmas's environmental footprint.
To help schools across the country consider how they can minimise the impact of their Christmas celebrations on the environment, PlanBee is proudly supporting The Greener, Kinder Christmas Pledge for Schools. This exciting initiative challenges schools to think about how they can have more fun and less waste at Christmas to help take care of our planet.
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