Households urged to act to reduce food waste this Christmas. Irish households waste estimated €1.2 billion on food every year.
As Irish families prepare for the biggest meal of the year, the scale of food waste in the country is sobering.
Households are on track to throw away an estimated €1.2 billion worth of food in 2025, according to figures drawn from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research and Census data.
“We know people across Ireland are feeling the pinch with the cost of living, so the idea that households could be throwing away up to €700 worth of food every year is truly shocking”
That equates to roughly €3 million every single day.
The EPA estimates that the average household discards €700 of salvageable food annually. Multiply that by Ireland’s 1.8 million occupied homes and the numbers quickly add up.
Most wasted foods
Bread tops the list of most wasted items, with 48% of people admitting it is the food they throw out most often.
Fruit and vegetables follow closely at 42%. These are ingredients that could easily be repurposed into festive dishes such as breadcrumbs for stuffing, hearty soups, or apple tarts.
Dinner is the danger zone. Nearly four in five people say it is the meal where most food ends up in the bin.
With Christmas dinner looming, the message from food waste campaigners is clear: plan carefully and portion realistically.
“At Christmas, when food is at the heart of so many of our celebrations, it’s more important than ever to make it go further,” says Machaela O’Leary, Sales Manager at Too Good To Go Ireland.
“We know people across Ireland are feeling the pinch with the cost of living, so the idea that households could be throwing away up to €700 worth of food every year is truly shocking. With bread and vegetables topping the list of the most wasted foods, and dinner time the biggest pressure point, the festive period is actually the perfect moment to rethink our habits.”
Practical advice
Too Good To Go, which operates the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food, has shared practical advice to help households cut waste and save money this Christmas.
- Start with a realistic guest list: “Don’t cook for the whole village if you’re only feeding your family,” O’Leary says. Over-catering is the fastest route to a bin full of leftovers.
- Clear freezer space now: Using up what you already have will reduce grocery bills and make room for freezing leftovers later. This simple step can prevent food from spoiling during the holiday rush.
- Avoid the ‘just in case’ shop: Supermarkets only close for a day or two, so resist the urge to bulk-buy. Stockpiling often leads to waste.
- Give vegetables a second life: Leftover veg can be transformed into a warming soup for St. Stephen’s Day or roasted with honey and balsamic vinegar to accompany turkey and ham.
Food waste accounts for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to WWF. Project Drawdown ranks reducing food waste as the single most effective action individuals can take to help tackle climate change.
Too Good To Go has already helped Irish consumers rescue 1.9 million surprise bags of food from going to waste. With more than 880,000 registered users and 1,800 partner stores nationwide, the company is betting that small changes in household habits can make a big difference.
For families facing rising costs, the incentive is clear: Every euro saved from the bin is a euro that stays in your pocket.
County Food Waste Breakdowns:
| County | Food Waste Estimate € |
| Carlow | € 15,597,400.00 |
| Cavan | € 20,223,000.00 |
| Clare | € 32,748,800.00 |
| Cork City and Cork County | € 148,601,600.00 |
| Donegal | € 43,649,900.00 |
| Dublin (all local authority areas) | € 364,617,400.00 |
| Galway | € 69,590,500.00 |
| Kerry | € 41,158,600.00 |
| Kildare | € 57,950,900.00 |
| Kilkenny | € 25,774,700.00 |
| Laois | € 21,837,200.00 |
| Leitrim | € 9,599,100.00 |
| Limerick City and County | € 53,729,200.00 |
| Longford | € 11,389,000.00 |
| Louth | € 34,673,100.00 |
| Mayo | € 36,694,700.00 |
| Meath | € 50,904,700.00 |
| Monaghan | € 16,060,800.00 |
| Offaly | € 20,141,100.00 |
| Roscommon | € 18,267,900.00 |
| Sligo | € 19,002,200.00 |
| Tipperary | € 43,639,400.00 |
| Waterford City and County | € 33,583,200.00 |
| Westmeath | € 23,893,100.00 |
| Wexford | € 41,556,900.00 |
| Wicklow | € 37,972,200.00 |
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