The environmental impact of Christmas

The other side of the festive season: figures, fallout and more responsible solutions

The holidays are a special time to share with others, but the environmental impact that comes with the bright lights and magical atmosphere is often overlooked. An increase in both consumption and waste means that the festive season is one of the times of year that puts the greatest pressure on environmental resources.

One of the most significant issues is food waste. According to the European project ToNoWaste, it spikes by as much as 30-40% in countries like Italy, France, Germany and Spain, making Christmas a major contributor to overall food waste in the EU, which amounts to more than 80 million tonnes each year. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations underlines that at Christmas people “purchase more food than necessary” and this has an impact all along the supply chain in terms of water, energy, transport and disposal.

Electricity use soars during the holiday season. In France, Christmas lights produce more than 57,000 tonnes of CO₂. Another 37,000 tonnes are added to the total by ice rinks. These numbers underline just how much of an impact festive traditions have on the environment.

Christmas markets

In response, many cities are taking more responsible measures, such as introducing more moderate portions, putting unsold items to good use, and cutting back on packaging. Christmas markets are focusing more and more on local products, thus reducing transport and waste in the supply chain. In Strasbourg and Vienna, there is a growing number of stalls selling regional specialities and local craft goods, which make markets more authentic and sustainable.

The same approach lies at the heart of the European SMARTIES for SMEs project, which helps Mediterranean SMEs to promote local products and more circular models.

Energy, trees and European good practices

On the energy front, many towns and cities are replacing traditional lights with LEDs, which use 80% to 90% less power. In Strasbourg, they have reduced the energy use of public lighting by 25%, while in Barcelona they have led to savings of up to 60%.

Christmas trees themselves also contribute to emissions: a real tree will produce 3-3.5 kg of CO₂ if it is recycled, or up to 16 kg if it ends up in landfill. The figure can be as high as 40 kg for artificial trees, which are only sustainable if they are used for at least 15-20 years. In any case, ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition) notes that trees only account for a small part of the environmental footprint of Christmas: food, transport and gifts are responsible for the lion’s share.

Using efficient lights and leaving them on for less time, sourcing local, recyclable trees, and taking care over Christmas market supply chains are all simple ways to make Christmas more eco-friendly.