How many Christmas gifts go unwanted
The Finder survey found three in five UK adults had received at least one unwanted Christmas present, at an average value of £41 each. Younger people get the most: 80% of Gen Z and 74% of millennials said so, compared with around a third of people over 60.
The usual suspects top the list. Clothes were the most common unwanted gift at 29%, followed by deodorant gift sets at 21% and soap gift sets at 20%, with bath bombs, novelty socks, hats, scarves and candles close behind. These are the presents people reach for when they are not sure what someone wants.
1
The Little Botanical Green New Home Plant Set
A living plant set is the kind of present people keep and enjoy rather than regift.
£67John Lewis
2
Apple AirPods (4th Generation) with USB-C Charging Case, 2024
AirPods are one of the most asked-for gifts, so they almost never end up unwanted.
£99.00John Lewis
3
Fujifilm instax Mini Evo Instant Camera
An Instax camera is a wish-list favourite that gets used all through Christmas Day.
£164.99John Lewis
What people actually do with them
A Which? survey of 2,071 people found most unwanted presents get a second life of some kind. 27% were given to charity, 26% were passed on to someone else as a present and 8% were sold. Only 1 in 20 people told the giver and asked to swap it.
Plenty of gifts never leave the house either. In a UK Gift Card and Voucher Association study, around one in five unwanted presents were put away and forgotten. A present in the back of a cupboard is not in landfill, but nobody is enjoying it, and the money and materials that went into it are spent all the same.
4
John Adams The 1% Club Board Game
A popular board game gets played, not passed on to the charity shop.
£25John Lewis
5
Louisa May Alcott 'Little Women' Book
A beautiful edition of a classic novel is a book people keep on the shelf.
£16.99John Lewis
How many unwanted gifts end up in the bin
You will often see the claim that up to 19% of unwanted gifts go to landfill. That figure comes from the UK Gift Card and Voucher Association in 2019, an industry body for gift cards, and the sample size was not published. Other surveys put the number much lower: 5% of people in the Which? survey said they threw an unwanted present away.
The honest answer is somewhere between one in twenty and one in five, depending on who you ask. Either way it adds up to millions of presents a year, plus the wrapping, packaging and delivery miles behind each one. The most reliable way to cut that waste is not better recycling. It is buying fewer things people do not want in the first place.
6
Thermos Thermocafe Earth Collection Travel Mug, 340ml
A reusable travel mug gets used every day and cuts down on throwaway cups.
£13John Lewis
7
John Lewis Double Wall Stainless Steel Drinks Bottle, 500ml
An insulated bottle is a useful present that replaces plastic ones rather than adding clutter.
£12John Lewis
Asking is more thoughtful, not less
Many of us worry that buying from a list feels less personal than picking something ourselves. The research says the opposite. In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology in 2011, Francesca Gino and Francis Flynn found people appreciated gifts they had asked for more than surprises, and saw them as more thoughtful. Givers got it backwards, assuming the surprise would land better.
Economists have measured the gap too. In The Deadweight Loss of Christmas, published in the American Economic Review in 1993, Joel Waldfogel found people value the presents they receive at between a tenth and a third less than the giver paid. The thought still counts. It just counts for more when it is aimed at something they will use.
8
Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with Mic/Remote
Noise cancelling headphones are a classic thing people ask for by name.
£199.95John Lewis
9
Oura Ring 4 Health & Fitness Tracker Smart Ring, Black
A fitness tracker like the Oura Ring is a pricey wish-list item people rarely buy themselves.
£244.00John Lewis
What to do with unwanted Christmas gifts
If you are holding an unwanted Christmas gift right now, you have four sensible options. Give it to a charity shop, pass it on to someone who will use it, sell it, or swap it with the gift receipt. In the Which? survey those were the most common routes, and charity was the most popular at 27%.
Check the gift is new and unopened before you pass it on, and keep a note of who gave it to you so it never goes back to the same circle. Only 1 in 20 people asked the giver to swap it, which is a shame, because a quick and kind message is often all it takes.
10
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds True Wireless Bluetooth In-Ear Headphones
Earbuds are among the gifts people actually keep and use, so they rarely end up passed on.
£179.95John Lewis
How to give fewer unwanted gifts this Christmas
Ask early and ask everyone. A shared Christmas list removes the guesswork for family and friends, and the surprise stays in which thing they get and who it is from. Adding your own list helps the people buying for you just as much.
Agree on a Secret Santa for big families or office groups, so each person gets one present they actually want instead of five they do not. Go for experiences or consumables when you are unsure, include a gift receipt, and if you do receive something you will not use, pass it on to someone who will or give it to a charity shop rather than the bin.
If you want one place for everyone's ideas, a HintDrop list works with any shop, so the people you love can see exactly what you would like without anybody buying the same thing twice.
Frequently asked questions
How many Christmas gifts are unwanted?
In a 2024 Censuswide survey of 2,000 UK adults for Finder, 58% said they had received an unwanted Christmas gift, worth about £1.27 billion in total. That is roughly £41 of unwanted presents per person.
Do unwanted gifts really go to landfill?
Some do. Estimates range from 5% of people binning an unwanted present (Which?) to 19% of unwanted gifts going to landfill (UK Gift Card and Voucher Association). Most are donated, regifted, sold or put away and forgotten.
What are the most unwanted Christmas gifts?
Clothes, deodorant gift sets and soap gift sets top the list, followed by bath bombs, novelty socks, hats and scarves, and candles.
Is buying from a wishlist less thoughtful?
No. Research by Gino and Flynn found people appreciate gifts they asked for more than surprises, and see them as more thoughtful. Givers tend to underestimate this.
What can I do with unwanted Christmas gifts?
Give them to a charity shop, pass them on as a present, sell them or swap them with a gift receipt. In the Which? survey, 27% of people gave unwanted gifts to charity and 26% passed them on.
Is it rude to regift an unwanted present?
Not if you do it carefully. In the Which? survey, 26% of people passed an unwanted gift on to someone else. Make sure it is new and unopened, and never give it back to the person who gave it to you or to anyone in the same circle.
What should I do with an unwanted gift?
Pass it on to someone who will use it, sell it, swap it with a gift receipt or give it to a charity shop. Throwing it away should be the last resort.
How do I tell my family what I want so I don't get unwanted gifts?
Share a list before they start shopping, with a few price points and the exact item or link. Say it is to save them guessing, not to rule out surprises. Most people are relieved to be told.
How do I stop getting unwanted gifts from a big family?
Suggest a Secret Santa with a set budget and a shared wishlist, so each person buys one gift that was asked for instead of everyone buying a guess.
Sources
- Finder: Unwanted Christmas gifts statistics (Censuswide, 2,000 UK adults, November 2024)
- Which?: What people do with unwanted Christmas gifts (2,071 people, 2019)
- UK Gift Card and Voucher Association study, reported by the Oldham Chronicle (December 2019)
- Stanford GSB: Gino and Flynn, Give them what they want (2011)
- Waldfogel, The Deadweight Loss of Christmas, American Economic Review (1993)
Ready to actually find something?
Make a Christmas list they will actually use