Holiday Food Waste Costs Brits Up to £25 per Trip
Holiday Plans Are Costing More Than You Think
Heading off on holiday should be about switching off – not watching food go off in your fridge. But for almost half of UK travellers, it turns out there’s a hidden cost they didn’t plan for: wasted food.
A recent poll by Too Good To Go, carried out by OnePoll in July 2025, found that 48% of UK holidaymakers admitted to throwing away as much as £25 worth of food before heading off on their trip.
Given that, according to ONS, the average British household spends around £97 a week on groceries, that’s nearly a quarter of the weekly shop, gone straight in the bin.
Almost 4 in 10 Waste Over a Third of Their Shop
Digging into the detail, the numbers are even more alarming. Of those surveyed, up to 10% said they end up binning a staggering 38% of their food shop ahead of a holiday. Whether it’s perishables left uneaten or unopened items left too late, that’s a lot of perfectly edible food going to waste.
Sophie Trueman, UK & Ireland Country Director at Too Good To Go, pointed out:
“When you’re trying to stretch your summer budget, the last thing you want is to waste money on food you won’t even get to eat.”
She added that the cumulative impact of avoidable food waste often goes unnoticed, until you start counting the pounds lost to it.
Some Plan Ahead, Others Dial for a Takeaway
Not everyone’s heading out the door without a plan. Roughly one-third of those surveyed said they take extra care with their shopping before a holiday, buying only what they know they’ll use.
- 41% either cook meals ahead or freeze what’s left to avoid throwing it away.
- Another third share leftover groceries with friends, neighbours or family.
But habits vary: 1 in 10 respondents admitted they’re more likely to order a takeaway in the days before departure, rather than try to use what they already have at home.
With food inflation still running at 4.5%, Trueman says waste isn’t just a sustainability issue – it’s a budgeting issue too:
“Avoiding unnecessary waste isn’t just good for the environment – it’s essential for keeping holiday costs in check.”
Waste Less, Save More
Holiday prep doesn’t just mean packing a suitcase – it means managing your kitchen properly, too. Planning meals, freezing leftovers, and sharing what you can are all simple ways to prevent unnecessary loss.
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