December is the peak of the Christmas party season, with many employers holding events that include food and drink. Event professionals report that about 15% of food at these gatherings often ends up in the bin.1
New analysis from BusinessWaste.co.uk highlights the scale of waste at staff parties and the cost to companies and the environment.
How much food does each UK Christmas party waste?
|
Average Cost of Wasted Food Per Business (£) |
Average Food Wasted (kg) |
|
1,096.88 |
14.26 |
The figures show that a typical company party produces 14.26kg of food waste, costing the average employer £1,097 each year.
When broken down by business size, the cost is £37.50 for micro businesses with up to nine staff, £225 for small businesses with up to 49 employees, £1,125 for medium-sized firms with up to 249 staff, and £3,000 for large companies with more than 250 employees.
What does this look like across the whole UK?
|
Total Estimated Cost of Waste (Whole UK) (£) |
Total Food Waste Estimate (Kg) (Whole UK) |
Carbon Footprint (Tonnes CO2e) Whole UK |
|
115,839,720 |
1,506,847.03 |
2,531.50 |
Across all UK companies, food waste from Christmas parties reaches about 1.5 million kg. That is roughly equal to the weight of 1,500 small cars.
With 1,416,855 businesses in the UK, the financial impact could reach more than £115 million.
What is the environmental impact?
The waste also carries a large environmental cost. The total carbon footprint is estimated at 2,531.50 tonnes of CO2e, which is comparable to charging 1,361,000 smartphones for a year.
Food that goes to landfill produces methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO2. This speeds up climate change and increases pressure on waste systems.
Cutting waste can reduce disposal costs and support companies’ sustainability goals.
How can companies reduce waste?
- Choose plated meals instead of buffets
- Keep menus simple with fewer choices
- Use pre-order systems
- Remind staff of their meal choices shortly before the event
- Ensure staff can report allergies or dislikes
- Explore donating surplus food through charities such as FareShare
How were the figures calculated?
BusinessWaste.co.uk used guidance from the British Dietetic Association, GOV.UK and the British Nutrition Foundation to set a benchmark of 650g for a three-course corporate meal.
With event professionals reporting that at least 15% of food is wasted, this figure was used to calculate waste per person.
Data on UK business numbers was taken from the Department for Business and Trade Business Population Estimates, which uses Office for National Statistics data. This allowed the researchers to calculate waste by business size, region and national total.
A cost of £50 per meal was set based on national pricing across restaurants and corporate event packages.
Figures were adjusted by 72% to reflect the proportion of companies that hold Christmas parties.
The aim of the research is to show the amount of waste and inefficiency created by corporate festive events.
Mark Hall, food waste expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk, said: “Every year, millions of businesses across the UK bring their staff together to celebrate at Christmas. However, many don’t realise the scale of waste created at catered events, and don’t comprehend that this waste also comes with a cost.
“With exact figures impossible to obtain, the calculation we have provided does rely on some clearly defined assumptions, but we believe it’s a fair illustration of the potential scale of food waste generated. Our goal is to get companies, caterers, and even staff thinking about how they can reduce their contribution.
“While it’s unlikely we can eliminate waste from these events entirely, we also wanted to share some clear steps you can take to prevent excess waste, and do your bit to reduce the impact on the environment during this season of indulgence.”