Again, Christmas is a time of excess in every sense, particularly when it comes to food. Making mindful, sustainable choices for planned meals and dinner parties can have a huge impact, at Christmas and throughout the new year.
December is a time to "be pragmatic and permissive with the change we create," says Bradbury. "Christmas is not the time to speak about restriction, but making small changes to our traditions will shape our impact."
Cutting down on meat-heavy dishes, avoiding over-catering (i.e. you may be having 15 guests over for dinner, but that doesn't mean you need 15 servings of each dish!), and re-using or donating surplus food are three easy ways to be more sustainable in your food choices this Christmas. When shopping, ensure you're buying locally sourced products and high-quality, welfare-conscious meats, and strive to get creative with leftovers, too.
There are also a number of resources in the UK to help you source and donate ingredients that might otherwise go to waste. OLIO and Too Good to Go allow you to snag and swap ingredients with neighbours, while FareShare and The Trussell Trust collect and distribute donated food to those who need it most.