Take a moment and think back to last Christmas. Can you remember what gifts you received? What happened to the leftovers? The decorations? The wrapping paper?
For many of us, the answer is surprisingly unclear. Some gifts may still be in use, but others have likely found their way to the back of a cupboard, a donation bin or landfill. The same goes for much of the food. Fridges filled with good intentions often become bins filled with waste as leftovers spoil and excess food is thrown out.
This matters more than we might think.
In Australia, it is estimated that more than one billion dollars' worth of Christmas gifts go unused each year. Not one billion dollars spent on Christmas. One billion dollars spent on gifts that are never used. It is little wonder that more Australians are beginning to rethink what makes a meaningful Christmas gift in the first place.
But gifts are only part of the story. Every Christmas also generates enormous amounts of food waste, packaging waste and unnecessary consumption. The festive season is associated with abundance, yet much of that abundance ends up forgotten or sent to landfill within weeks.
Against a backdrop of rising living costs and growing concern about sustainability, perhaps it is worth reflecting on all of this before the festive rush begins again. Before we find ourselves aboard the express train to Christmas once more, it might be worth asking why it matters and what we could do differently.
Why It Matters
The question of what happened to last year's gifts might seem trivial. Does it really matter if a few presents end up forgotten in a cupboard?
In 2026, increasingly, yes.
Waste takes many forms. It can be food purchased with good intentions but never eaten. It can be wrapping paper and ribbons used for a few moments before being discarded. It can be gifts that are never worn or used despite the money and care that went into buying them. Each carries its own cost, to household budgets, to the environment and to the broader community.
Wasted Food
Foodbank Australia's latest research paints a confronting picture. More than half of Australians (53%) reported finding it harder to put food on the table in 2026, up from 44% just one month earlier. Foodbank described the increase as "staggering" and warned that many families are reaching breaking point as the cost of living continues to climb.
At the same time, Australia continues to waste vast amounts of food. Research from End Food Waste Australia estimates that Australians throw away around 7.6 million tonnes of food every year, much of it perfectly edible. Christmas amplifies this as households buy more than they need, fridges overflow, and leftovers spoil.
In a year when millions of Australians are struggling to afford groceries, every purchasing decision carries greater weight. The question is no longer whether we should give at Christmas. It is whether we can give more thoughtfully.
Wasted Packaging
Much of the environmental impact of Christmas begins before a gift is even opened. Wrapping paper, ribbons, gift bags, tissue paper, plastic packaging and delivery materials all contribute to a significant waste problem, one that tends to get overlooked in the conversation about unwanted presents.
In our article Eco-friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas, we explored how small choices can make a real difference: recyclable paper, reusable bags, natural decorations. None of it requires sacrifice, just a little more thought.
According to the latest National Waste Report, Australians generate approximately 75 million tonnes of waste each year, with packaging a significant contributor. Most of it is used briefly and then discarded.
The opening scenes of Disney and Pixar's WALL-E come to mind, a future Earth buried under towering skyscrapers of compacted rubbish, abandoned by humanity. We are not suggesting that future is inevitable. But the image is worth sitting with, because it asks a question that Christmas makes relevant every year: what happens when consumption consistently outpaces responsibility?
Wasted Money
As we explored in our article on Eco-friendly Christmas Gifts, Australians waste more than one billion dollars each year on gifts that go unused. Behind that figure are countless items that end up forgotten, donated or thrown away within weeks of the festive season.
Meanwhile, more than 122,000 Australians are currently experiencing homelessness, and services like Foodbank and Orange Sky continue to see growing demand for food relief, laundry and shower access, things many of us never think twice about.
What if even a fraction of that money were redirected?
This is one reason why Christmas charity donations, Charity Gifts Australia searches and other forms of Christmas charity gifting have become increasingly popular, particularly among Australians looking for Christmas gifts that create a lasting impact beyond the festive season. For many people, the appeal lies in knowing their gift can create value beyond the recipient, supporting causes that provide practical assistance when it is needed most.
For example, Foodbank helps provide food relief to Australians struggling to afford groceries, while Orange Sky offers free laundry and shower services alongside meaningful human connection for people experiencing homelessness and hardship.
This is not an argument against giving gifts. It is simply an invitation to think about where our money goes and what it could achieve. Whether you are choosing Christmas gifts for friends, family members or even business Christmas gifts, the same question applies: will this gift still matter once the festive season has passed?
The most meaningful giving often extends beyond the recipient.
Final Thoughts
Christmas should never be about perfection. It should be about generosity and celebrating the people who matter most.
The reality is that Australians continue to waste enormous amounts of food, packaging and money on unwanted gifts at a time when many families are doing it tough. No single person can fix that. But each of us can make more thoughtful choices, buying less and choosing more carefully, planning meals with a bit more intention, or directing some of what we would have spent toward causes that genuinely need it.
For those wondering where they can buy gifts for charity this Christmas, the growing popularity of charitable gifting reflects a broader shift towards choosing presents that create a lasting impact rather than becoming part of the growing cycle of waste.
Before we board the express train to Christmas once again, there is one question worth sitting with: when next Christmas is over, what will become of what we chose to give this year?