In Ireland, we waste almost 1 million tonnes of food while 1 in 8 people experience food poverty. The average household in Ireland loses between €700 - €1,000 because of food waste. Ireland wins the grand prize for producing plastic waste in the EU. We are producing a massive 61kg per person a year, double the EU average.  

We sing the 5 R's loud and clear, especially at Christmas, the most wasteful time of year!

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot. 

Every day can be like Green Friday (an alternative to Black Friday) where we make more conscious consumer decisions, shop local and choose eco alternatives.

• Reusable coffee cups, water bottles and lunch boxes are great gifts and stocking fillers. 
• Shampoo bars and bamboo toothbrushes are a great addition to a ‘pamper pack’. 
• Give the gift of an experience instead of things, spend quality time with your loved ones. 
• Make something tasty; jams, chutneys, sweets and cakes are always an easy pleaser.
• Make your own decorations or Christmas cards instead of buying new, a great opportunity to have friends around and share arts and crafts skills over some mulled wine. 
• Buy what you need, not necessarily everything you want. 
• Plan your Christmas dinner, think about how many people you will be feeding before going shopping. Christmas can be a very wasteful time of year in the kitchen too - use up your Christmas dinner left-overs, that turkey can go a long way.