In a major post-Christmas initiative to combat food waste, supermarket giant Asda is giving away bags of surplus festive vegetables for free to shoppers across the UK.
Free festive veg available nationwide
The offer, which was available in stores until 4pm on Friday 26 December 2025, saw huge pallets and boxes of produce placed outside many locations. Shoppers reported being able to pick up bags containing items like potatoes, carrots, broccoli and Brussels sprouts at no cost.
One customer posted details in the Facebook group Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK, stating: “My local Asda is currently giving away all of their Xmas veg for free.” Another user confirmed the scale of the offer, replying: “All Asdas are doing the same today! Normally they do it on Christmas Eve but decided today instead.”
A shift from traditional waste reduction timing
This annual effort to redistribute surplus seasonal food typically occurs on Christmas Eve. However, this year the supermarket chain opted to run the giveaway on Boxing Day, providing customers with a chance to collect free vegetables the day after the main festivities.
The move is a direct effort to prevent perfectly edible food from going to waste after the peak Christmas trading period. A third social media user clarified the details, writing: “They are giving away the surplus Christmas veg bags. Open to 4pm.”
Insights into festive shopping habits
The waste-reduction drive follows the recent release of Asda's data on customer habits in the lead-up to Christmas. The figures reveal significant surges in online searches for festive items:
- Searches for Christmas cheese increased by 339%.
- Demand for Lynx Gift Sets saw a staggering rise of 922%.
- Interest in Galaxy Selection boxes grew by 263%.
On its George.com website, festive terms dominated the top searches, with festive jumpers and matching pyjamas proving particularly popular.
The retailer also shared some remarkable seasonal statistics. They expect to have sold nearly 18 million metres of wrapping paper—a distance greater than the round trip from London to the North Pole. Sales of Christmas trees would fill Sherwood Forest 350 times over, supported by over 265,000 novelty baubles sold by George Home.
For the main celebration, Asda anticipated selling 2 million packets of pigs in blankets and enough wine and fizz to fill over 42 swimming pools. Even family pets were catered for, with an estimated 92,000 dogs set to enjoy the Asda Adult Dog Hero Festive Feast on Christmas Day, priced at just 42p, and over 378,000 pet gifts sold.
The giveaway highlights the ongoing challenge of food waste in the retail sector and represents a direct effort by a major player to ensure surplus produce benefits consumers rather than ending up in landfill.
