The responsible use of food - the abundance of the Christmas season should be in your heart, not in the landfill

The Christmas holidays are all about abundance - this is particularly evident at a richly laid table. However, feasting also leads to excessive waste - because a particularly large amount of food ends up in the bin at this time of year due to the difficulty of planning requirements, poor storage and little use of leftovers.

"During the Advent and Christmas season and around the turn of the year, we place a particularly heavy burden on the environment and climate. Mindful handling of valuable food can make a significant contribution to sustainable holidays," says Dominik Heizmann, expert for sustainable nutrition at WWF Austria.

After all, wasted food not only has devastating consequences for the environment and society, but also a particularly large climate footprint:

Around 40 percent of all food produced worldwide is never eaten, the number of animals slaughtered to end up as waste is shocking - this massive waste is responsible for ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Makes you sick: billions of dead animals end up in the trash

In addition to binding targets and measures to prevent food waste along the entire food chain, WWF Austria is calling for the promotion of food donations to those in need:

"The federal government must remove legal hurdles and promote the redistribution of food through tax incentives. Above all, the question of liability must be clarified and social organizations must be supported in the distribution of food surpluses," demands Heizmann from WWF Austria.

Improved data and educational work against waste are also necessary. In Austria alone, around one million tons of food waste are produced every year - that's over 100 kilograms per capita. Both the EU and Austria have set themselves the goal of at least halving food waste at retail and consumption level and reducing it along the entire supply chain by 2030.

Sensible holiday shopping?

Even if it's difficult, it makes perfect sense to refrain from hoarding despite the holidays and to keep a good overview of your supplies - because spontaneous purchases often lead to unnecessary food waste.

In addition to well-planned quantities, you should also pay attention to conscious consumption - especially of animal foods - on public holidays.

"On the contrary: if we consume less meat, we can also afford the better quality from regional organic production. And a plant-based Christmas meal can also be extraordinarily festive," says Heizmann, pointing out tasty ideas for plant-based Christmas menus.

However, if you don't want to give up meat or fish, you should find out about the origin and quality of the goods as well as the right amount - for example with the help of the WWF Food Guide. There are also tips on how to store and preserve food to avoid food waste.

If you still have some leftovers from the festive meal, WWF Austria recommends a creative use of leftovers with tasty recipes without any waste.

"We have to avoid every kilogram of valuable food in the trash and, especially on special occasions, make sure we don't buy more than we can really eat - even if offers in supermarkets tempt us to do so," Heizmann demands - and we would like to emphasize this.