Dr. Byungdoo Kim<\/a>, a research associate at the Centre for Sustainable Business at King\u2019s College London, examined the factors that drive people to consume so much during the holiday season. He found that \u201ceven environmental advocates tend to momentarily set aside their beliefs and practices during Christmas,\u201d citing respect for social norms, fear of missing out, and social comparison theory.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In a study titled, \u201cI want to be green but what about the Christmas tree?,\u201d Antonia Langhof and Vivien Deuringer<\/a> found that the desire to participate in Christmas traditions outweighed the need for a sustainable lifestyle. They found that having a Christmas tree on display in the home is an \u201cintegral part\u201d of Christmas traditions. British participants in the study reported that \u201cexcessive consumption\u201d regarding gifts is of major significance in Christmas traditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the most notable social norms of the holiday season is the practice of gift-giving. As children, Christmas morning was about running down the stairs to see how many presents Santa had left under the tree. For most, it wouldn\u2019t be Christmas without a pile of gifts.<\/p>\n Fear of missing out is another factor influencing consumer behavior around Christmastime. Marketing strategies during the holiday season cater to this internal need to secure the best deal and avoid missing opportunities. On Black Friday this year, online purchases in the U.S. reached a record $11.8 billion<\/a>, up 9.1% from 2024.<\/p>\n Social comparison theory<\/a>, introduced in the 1950s by American psychologist Leon Festinger, suggests that people compare themselves to others to measure their personal worth. This theory relates to the Christmas season, as the \u201ckeeping up with the Joneses\u201d mentality can influence the number of presents under the tree. With constant exposure to \u201cunboxings\u201d and perfect family lives on social media, it\u2019s easy to find yourself wanting what others have.\u00a0<\/p>\n Christmas consumption spans from trees, decorations, and presents to food, alcohol, and plastic and paper packaging. The average American produces 25% more waste<\/a> between the U.S. holiday Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.<\/p>\n One of the most significant sources of waste during the holidays is wrapping paper. If you rolled out the wrapping paper used in the United Kingdom during Christmas, the paper would span 384,400 kilometres (238,855 miles)<\/a> \u2014 enough to circle the Earth 9.5 times.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2018, the UK sent 114,000 tons of plastic packaging<\/a> to landfills, many of which were located abroad. Many high-GDP countries export their trash to developing countries, an issue known as \u201cwaste colonialism.\u201d In addition to plastic packaging, electronics and clothing overwhelm landfills abroad. Ghana\u2019s Agbogbloshie site in Accra imports 15,000 tons<\/a> of discarded computers, phones, and other used electronics each year. In addition to unwanted electronics, the country receives around 15 million used garments<\/a> each week.<\/p>\n The top exporter of used clothing is the United States, sending $966 million<\/a> worth of clothing abroad in 2023. One of the largest waste problems in the U.S. is returns. The majority of returns in the U.S. end up in landfills, as it costs more to reprocess and repack an item than to simply throw it away.<\/p>\n In 2022, global shipping company UPS handled approximately 65 million return packages<\/a> from November 20 to January 21, a number that is consistently increasing year on year. While returning something you won\u2019t use might seem like a good idea in theory, in reality, returning packages has a heavy carbon footprint. According to a 2018 Impact Report<\/a> by Otoporo, a global leader in return management systems, approximately 5 billion pounds (2.5 million tons) of return waste are sent to landfills in the U.S., resulting in 15 million tons of CO2 emissions.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Christmas](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Chrisrmas-2.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Francesco Liotti<\/a>
\nThe Psychology Behind Christmas Consumerism<\/p>\n![\"Christmas](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Christmas-4.jpg\")
Photo Credit: freestocks<\/a>
\nThe Environmental Impact of Christmas Consumerism<\/p>\n
![\"Christmas](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Christmas-1.jpg\")
Photo Credit: