How to make your Christmas dinner sustainable

There’s a lot to love about Christmas, like exchanging presents, decorating the tree, and watching the EastEnders special. But, the one thing that almost all of us look forward to most is the Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings.

Eating a delicious roast turkey (or a nut roast), with gravy, stuffing, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussel sprouts, and pigs-in-blankets is undoubtedly a highlight of the festive season, but it can also have a significant impact on your environmental footprint.

Approximately 10 million turkeys are eaten in the UK every year for Christmas, with the majority of them reared and sold in the British Isles as well. This reduces the environmental footprint as the distance they need to travel is much less than if the turkeys came from Europe or further afield.

But all forms of rearing meat are widely considered to be a major contributor to carbon emissions. According to the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy organisation based in the US, the equivalent of 10.9 kg of carbon emissions is produced per kilogram of turkey across it’s life, meaning an average Christmas turkey of 6kg has a carbon footprint the equivalent of 65.4 kg of emissions, the same as driving 162 miles.

Then there are the vegetables and other additions, like cranberry sauce, which can be flown in from across the world – not to mention the packaging that many of these items will come in.

Luckily, it is possible to have a more sustainable Christmas dinner than in years past, it just might take a little bit of extra effort. But it may be worth it in the long run for the climate and to ensure Christmas dinners won’t become a thing of the past.

Here’s how to make your Christmas dinner sustainable.

Plan ahead

Planning ahead is one of the best ways of keeping your Christmas dinner sustainable. If you’re someone who likes a spreadsheet, make sure you have listed every ingredient you need and take a few days in advance to look for local suppliers and businesses.

Additionally, if you can get everything delivered in one go, you will significantly reduce any travel-related carbon emissions this year. You can also arrange to share a car with a friend or neighbour, use public transport, or walk to your local supermarket and shops instead.

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Go meatless

The absolute best way of reducing your carbon footprint is by leaving meat off your plates completely, and there are many vegan alternatives available. But, many people will feel like it’s not Christmas without a turkey and some pigs-in-blankets.

There are other options though, if the thought of missing out on turkey makes you want to cry, such as buying a smaller turkey than you would have in the past, reducing the carbon emissions it would have taken to rear the bird and also ensuring less food waste this Christmas.

Buying organic, free-range, and sustainable meat where possible will also minimise your carbon footprint – but be sure to check that what you’re buying is as green as it claims to be!

Buy local and buy loose
Although the farming of vegetables has a much lower carbon footprint than animal farming, it’s important to be mindful of what you’re buying and where it comes from.

Choosing veggies grown in the UK, especially if it’s from a farm shop near to you, will mean fewer food miles and artificial ripening methods.

Parsnips, sprouts, potatoes and strawed carrots are all in season in the winter months, meaning you are likely to find a local place to buy these items.

If there are no farms or farm shops near you, make sure you check where the vegetables are produced in your local Tesco or Aldi so you can choose those grown here rather than imported from abroad. Many farmer’s markets and supermarkets now sell loose vegtables rather than packing them together using plastic, which is beneficial as it means you can buy only what you need (ie. three carrots instead of six) and they can be put in a reusable bag.

Local butcher shops and farms will usually sell turkeys in a cardboard box, which is recyclable, rather than wrapping them up in plastic like you’d see in Tesco.

If there is a sustainable refill shop in your area, you can also bring containers and bags to get flour, sugar, salt, grains, and whatever else you might need for Christmas.

But, if you cannot avoid packaging whatsoever, try to buy products in cardboard or glass packaging as they can then be recycled when you’re finished – plastic can’t sadly.

Check the recycling symbols

Everyday items like aluminium foil, baking parchment, roasting bags, and paper cases can be recycled, if they have the right symbols on their box. When you’re buying some, double check to ensure that you’re being more sustainable.

Additionally, you can invest in reusable tin liners and wax wraps so you’re not wasting metres of foil and cling film this year.