COTSWOLD District Council and Gloucestershire’s Joint Waste Team are asking residents to put a stop to the traditional waste of food over the whole Christmas period, especially on the big day itself.

Estimates show that the equivalent of 4.2m Christmas dinners will be thrown away in the UK comprising: 11.3m roast potatoes; 7.9m slices of turkey; 11.9m carrots; 17.2m sprouts; 7.9m cups of stuffing; and 7.1m pigs in blankets.

Councillor Sue Coakley, Cabinet Member for Environment at Cotswold District Council and Chair of the County’s Joint Waste Committee, says,

“The amount of food that gets wasted at this time of year is staggering. One in five of us admits to buying foods that we don’t like to serve up the ‘perfect’ traditional Christmas dinner - so it is of little surprise that part of the meal will go uneaten. And with ten percent of all food on the plate making its way to the bin, this is one Christmas tradition that really should be consigned to history."