Half of the food bought for the festive season goes to waste, research shows

Eva Osborne

50 per cent of the food bought for the holidays often goes uneaten, with 37 per cent of Irish people saying they feel pressure to over-cater for Christmas gatherings.

Research from Too Good To Go, a marketplace app for surplus food, showed that 25 per cent of Irish consumers waste bread over the festive season, as 23 per cent waste seasonal sauces like cranberry sauce and brandy butter.

A quarter of Irish people have admitted to wasting a whole plateful of food, while 18 per cent waste two or more.

Eight per cent throw away “a lot” of Brussels sprouts, while 16 per centwaste a “moderate” number of carrots and potatoes

This holiday season, lots of perfectly good food is being needlessly discarded, Too Good To Go said.

Ireland sales manager at Too Good To Go, Machaela O’Leary, said: “We all love the joy of a festive feast, but it's important to remember that food waste can have a significant impact on our planet.

"By taking simple steps like planning meals and using leftovers creatively, we can enjoy the holiday season without contributing to this issue. Together, we can make a difference and all contribute to reducing our food waste over the busy Christmas season.’’