Top Ways You Can Make Christmas Lunch More Sustainable

With the festive season fast approaching, you may have been keeping up with our recent articles on making Christmas Plastic-Free through our Christmas Tree Options, Plastic Free Christmas Decorations or our sustainable gift ideas post. This article follows the trend of making this Christmas plastic-free with a conscious effort to make sustainable choices for our planet when it comes to hosting lunch this Christmas. At Seabin Foundation, we strongly believe that small actions have collective and greater impacts. Our consumption levels impact the planet, our health and other living things.

1. Plan Ahead

Planning ahead on how many you are catering for and what you are going to eat can be essential in reducing waste and saving fridge space. Choosing a sustainable supplier with minimal packaging and purchasing the right quantities ensures minimal waste. Carefully plan out what dishes you will be serving and portions that can help reduce the waste you have (excluding leftovers) and separate what you can to be composted.

Our good friends at Ozharvest are here to remind us of some important stats this time of year to remember when it comes to food waste.

• ~ 2.5 Million tonnes of food waste come from our homes into landfills.
• Food waste costs our homes $2000-$2500 a year.
• The top five most wasted foods in Australia are vegetables, bread, fruit, bagged salad, and leftovers.
• Food in landfill releases methane – 28x stronger than carbon dioxide.

2. Select Sustainable Meat Choices

If you are reading this and already engaged with our content you would already be aware of the impacts the seafood industry has on our food systems through the way they are sourced and impact our oceans. When it comes to seafood, websites/apps such as Goodfish are so helpful! Access their sustainable seafood guide in choosing what type of seafood to go for this Christmas.

By choosing a great source of seafood it generally tastes better but also starts a conversation as to why you chose this fish and hopefully encourage your guests to think about the next time they buy seafood choosing something more sustainable.

Around 5% of the pork produced in Australia is Free Range. When shopping for your Christmas ham, look out for the APL Certified Free Range logo and choose an Australian pig, as it has a reduced impact on the transport of the ham to your table.

By making a conscious choice in where you choose to buy your meat from, you are supporting better production of our food systems, supporting those producers doing the right thing and ensuring you are making a more sustainable choice this Christmas.

If you are ready to skip meat for this celebratory meal, you may also consider the many creative recipes for vegan and vegetarian Christmas dishes! Some are truly beautiful AND delicious, likely to impress everyone! Ingredients for those options can easily be sourced plastic-free, shopping in bulk and with your own produce bags.

3. When Possible, Go Organic, Fair Trade And Ethically Sourced

Organic produce avoids the use of pesticides, certain fertilisers, reduces water pollution and promotes healthy ecosystems in farming practices! It’s important to note that Australia’s packaging laws do not regulate against labelling something as organic and therefore a lot of greenwashing can go on with branding something as organic, even if it isn’t. Most countries have a certified organic label to look out for, which does help consumers choose the goods from producers that are truly following organic farming practices. Speaking with small businesses at farmers’ markets and asking them directly about the practices they use is one of the best ways to support sustainable farming. The organic certification label can be very expensive for small businesses so although in major supermarkets it’s a great point of reference, it is not always necessary when buying from local farmers markets if you can talk to them about their practices and you are happy with their responses.

The ACCC conducted an internet sweep in 2023 and found that of the 247 businesses reviewed during the sweep, 57 per cent were identified as having made concerning claims about their environmental credentials. There are also certain labels in sustainability to look out for.

Chocolate, coffee, and sugar are often harvested under exploitative conditions. This Christmas, look for treats certified by Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, or B Corp. These labels ensure workers receive fair wages and work under safe conditions while promoting sustainable farming practices.

4. Additional Ways to Make Christmas Lunch Plastic-Free and Sustainable

• Table Settings: Skip the disposable plates, cups, and cutlery. Opt for reusable options and dress the table with cloth napkins and natural decorations like pinecones, greenery, or beeswax candles.
• Wrapping Waste: Avoid plastic-lined wrapping paper for gifting and use fabric wraps, kraft paper, or even old newspapers for a rustic look.
• Drinks: Buy beverages in glass bottles or cans, and ditch the plastic straws. Try making a big batch of festive punch in a glass dispenser to reduce packaging waste.
• Shopping Bags: Bring reusable tote and produce bags to the store to avoid unnecessary packaging.
• Say no to food waste: Ask your guests to bring their own containers to take home leftovers and get creative with ways in which you can repurpose leftovers in meals for the rest of the week, including freezing portions when possible.

We hope these tips spark some ideas for you to implement into your home not only for Christmas but all catering events. If Christmas Lunch isn’t at your home this year, send this link to whoever is hosting so we can all enjoy Christmas with a conscious, sustainable and plastic free.

How to get involved

There are many ways we can all contribute to the global effort for cleaner oceans! Contact us here to find out how you can get involved on our mission for cleaner oceans.

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