MORE than 800 tonnes of food waste was binned by York residents over the Christmas period, new figures have revealed.

A total of 883 tonnes of waste was thrown out between Christmas and New Year, a survey by the local recycling firm Trade Waste revealed.

Spokesman for the group, Charlotte Green, said: “Even with a slightly toned-down Christmas this year, we all know how full the bins get after Christmas – it’s now clear the huge environmental impact all this waste has. The numbers are simply astonishing."

Data reveals that this year York residents chucked out 412 tonnes of food packaging, 147 tonnes of leftover Christmas dinner, 72 tonnes of drink bottles, 14 tonnes of mince pies and six tonnes of cheese.

Charlotte Green added: “People in York seem to have taken to eating well this year, with lock-downs and all the doom and gloom – it seems comfort eating has become a National institution. however nearly 14 tonnes of half-eaten mince pies were thrown out - seems a terrible shame to me.”

It is not only leftover food waste which is filling York bins, with 35 tonnes of wrapping paper, cards, decorations and Christmas trees all being thrown out this week.

Ms Green said: “It’s really difficult to reduce waste, but we can all do our bit. It’s really important to split up all the waste you have and put it in the correct bin – some need to be processed differently.”

To find out more about the study, visit TradeWaste.co.uk.