Are Kiwis Blind To Their Festive Food Waste? New Research Unveils The Hidden Holiday Problem

Kiwis are self-reporting that they waste less food at Christmas, yet food waste still occurs and we may not even notice it. New research from Love Food Hate Waste NZ shows that while many households adopt better strategies, managing festive food waste remains a persistent challenge.

According to the research, which surveyed over 500 households across New Zealand, Kiwis tend to adopt better food waste habits over the holiday season with the use of leftovers, planning meals and shopping with a list all increasing during Christmas week when compared to an ordinary week.

Key Findings:

• 1 in 5 households self-reported no food waste during the Christmas season, and over 9 in 10 households claimed to only waste one 2L container or less of food
• Around a quarter of households attributed their Christmas food waste to overcooking and not using leftovers, with the pressure to provide a large variety of dishes contributing to the problem
• A quarter of households waste more poultry, pork, and seafood during Christmas compared to other times of the year, driven by traditional holiday feasts
• Nearly a third of households faced challenges with limited storage space, while 1 in 5 expressed concerns about food safety, particularly with food left out during festive gatherings

Despite best efforts to reduce waste during the holidays, a closer look reveals food waste is still a challenge with excess food often going unnoticed or underappreciated,

"Our findings suggest that while many Kiwis believe they waste less food during Christmas, there’s still waste happening – we’re possibly just blind to it," says Juno Scott-Kelly, Marketing & Communications Manager for Love Food Hate Waste NZ. "With our festive goggles on, it’s easy to overlook those extra servings or the food left out too long, but it all adds up."

The study found that leftovers not used (42%), too much-cooked food (26.1%) and too much food bought (16.2%) are the main drivers of food waste during the festive season.

While limited storage space (35.1%), hard-to-judge and prep cooked foods (27.5%) and food safety issues (23.3%) were cited as the top three barriers to reducing food waste at Christmas time.

"Many of these barriers/causes of food waste stem from Kiwis not considering portion sizes when planning their festive meals and how they’ll utilise the inevitable leftovers. This often means we cook more food than necessary, with challenges around lack of storage space and food safety kicking in,” explains Scott-Kelly.

"Recognising these challenges, we’ve launched a Chill Out initiative, which aims to equip Kiwis with essential tools around meal planning, storing food, and safety of food for the festive season.”

“By setting fridges and freezers to the right temperature, having a good clear out to make space for the festive influx, we can all get ahead of Christmas to ensure none of those special meals ends up in the bin.”

While the report shows we are better at eating leftovers during the festive season versus an average week, leftovers or uneaten food off plates were still the most common type of food wasted followed by vegetables, bread, and fruit.

The only types of food that were significantly more likely to be wasted at Christmas were poultry, pork and seafood.

"The switch to festive foods, particularly meat, creates new waste patterns," Scott-Kelly explains. Because these items are often seen as special or have been bought in larger quantities to cater for different tastes, we see a rise in these categories over the festive season.”

“We also tend to see more of it wasted, as concerns around food safety increase and over-catering occurs” she adds.

During the holidays, when meals often linger on the table longer, it is essential to get kai in the fridge within two hours says Scott-Kelly.

“This simple step is crucial for food safety and ensures that the time, effort and money spent on preparing special holiday meals does not go to waste.”

Love Food Hate Waste’s Chill Out resources and practical tips on preparing for the festive season can be found on its website along with videos and tools across its social media channels throughout November.

Note: This research was conducted by Elm Marketing & Base Insights on behalf of Love Food Hate Waste NZ via both qualitative & quantitative research. Base Insights partnered with Dynata to access a wide sample of respondents throughout New Zealand between the ages of 18 – 65 years. 524 responses were collected between 25th December 2023 and 8 January 2024. 

Deck the Halls Christmas Food Waste Report Key Findings

• 1 in 5 households self-reported no food waste at all during the Christmas season, with over 90% of households saying they waste less than one 2L container of food per week.
• Poultry, pork, and seafood waste increases during the Christmas season due to traditional festive meals, with a quarter of households wasting more of these foods compared to other times.
• Approximately 25% of households surveyed noted overcooking and not utilising leftovers as primary reasons for increased food waste during Christmas. The pressure to provide a wide variety of dishes also contributes significantly.
• Nearly a third of households struggle with limited storage space during the festive season, exacerbating food waste issues.
• Concerns about food safety, especially regarding foods left out during gatherings, affect 20% of households.
• Households are more likely to consume and manage leftovers better during Christmas due to being home more often, yet the festive increase in special or indulgent foods leads to new waste patterns.
• The main drivers of food waste during the festive season are; Leftovers not used (42%), too much cooked food (26.1%) and too much food bought (16.2%).
• The main barriers to reducing food waste at Christmas time are; Lack of storage space (35.1%), finding it hard to judge and prep cooked foods (27.5%) and food safety issues (23.3%).

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