A new nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults, commissioned by HIPPO in November 2025, has revealed that colleagues are the UK’s worst Christmas gift-givers — with 16.5% of people saying the presents they’re most likely to throw away after the holidays come from workmates.
The study asked: “Whose Christmas gift(s) are you most likely to throw away after the holidays, if anyone’s?” The findings show:
- 1 in 6 discard gifts from colleagues, making workplace presents the #1 most-binned category.
- Neighbours are the second-worst gift givers at 9.5%, almost half the colleague rate.
- Festive binning is especially common in Scotland, where more than 1 in 5 people in Glasgow (21.9%) and Edinburgh (21.3%) say they throw unwanted presents away.
‘Office Scrooges’ HIPPO commentary
“These findings reveal the truth: that a majority of workers hate participating in the office Secret Santa” says Gareth Lloyd Jones, managing director at HIPPO. “With 1 in 6 of us admitting to throwing away gifts given by colleagues, we can see how these workplace exchanges are proving to be more wasteful than wonderful.”
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s novelty mugs, socks or jokey stationery, it’s at risk of ending up in the bin. The best thing to do would be regift or donate these unwanted gifts, but these statistics serve as a reminder that even small gestures can have a big environmental impact. For the office scrooges, perhaps the most appreciated present in the office this year would be skipping Secret Santa altogether.”
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