$1bn in unwanted gifts destined for landfill this Christmas

Australia’s love of gift giving has gone too far, and the unnecessary Christmas extravagance is costing us $1bn, new research reveals.

A shocking percentage of Christmas presents are ending up unused and in landfill, with “unsustainable gift giving” proving detrimental to both wallets and the environment.

A new The Australia Institute report reveals that more than a quarter of Aussies will this year receive a gift that they will never use or wear, accounting for more than $1bn of wasted spending on gifts that no one actually wants.

With 47 per cent of us failing to consider how the gifts we buy will be disposed of, experts are asking Christmas shoppers to think carefully before pulling the trigger on each purchase.

“Reducing waste at Christmas time is beneficial for the environment and can also help Australians feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis,” The Australia Institute circular economy and waste program director Nina Gbor said.

A shocking number of unwanted gifts are destined for landfill. Picture: NewsWire / Ben Symons

While many of us feel pressure to ensure all of our loved ones are included, the report found that most us would rather see waste reduced, with 52 per cent saying they’d rather people didn’t buy them unnecessary gifts.

Likewise, the way we wrap our gifts is also contributing to unnecessary waste, which is why experts are also asking people to opt for reusable gift bags over wrapping paper, which is only reused by 24 per cent of gifters.

“In the amalgamation of the cost-of-living and environmental waste crises, we cannot afford to keep up a ritual that for the most part is not economically or logistically beneficial to the gift giver, receiver and, to make matters worse, contributes to environmental degradation,” Gbor said.

“Both gift giver and receiver can enjoy Christmas even more by knowing that the gifts we give and receive are needed, used with less likelihood of being discarded or ending up in landfill.”