But it doesn't have to be this way.

More Australian households are becoming mindful of the ways to reduce their impact while they celebrate this Christmas.

"There are a lot of people who worry or wonder, 'what difference does it make if it's just my household?' But I think increasingly, there's an awareness that this all adds up over time," University of Adelaide food values research lead Professor Rachel Ankeny said.

"And also has a lot more symbolic values as well, as far as, teaching children and others around you about your values and how they align with your decisions."

Here's our tips for a merry, sustainable Christmas.

If you have a plastic tree, make sure you have the storage space to pack it away to reuse next year.

If the answer is you don't, instead of buying new, you can decorate an existing house plant or get a 'real' Christmas tree that will decompose by the end of the holiday season.

Owner at Somerville Christmas Tree farm in Victoria's east, George Landolfo, said real trees - pine trees - can last for up to six weeks with good care.

"Christmas trees are like flowers," he said.

"When you cut a Christmas tree it goes in emergency mode."

His advice to make them last is to reclean the sap from the tree's cut trunk and put the tree in water straight away.

"It's not Christmas unless you've got a real Christmas tree in, because within 24 hours you can smell it throughout your whole house," Mr Landolfo said.

"It smells like Christmas."

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According to Buy-swap-sell website Gumtree more than half of gifts Australians received at Christmas are unwanted.

University of Queensland (UQ) tourism and business lecturer Dr Mucha Mkono said if more of us had the gifting conversation with a sense of humor, the environment would be better for it.

"The social pressure to say that you like [a gift] ... but the truth is you don't actually like the gift at all; it's just a piece of clutter that's added to your home and, sometimes, to landfill," she said.

"Or if you're a bit more sustainable, you might think of regifting it, but chances are you'll gift it to somebody who won't like it either so why don't we have a chat, laugh about it, so that people can find a better way to gift; such as gifting an experience."

In addition to giving an experience, eco-friendlier presents include homemade, sponsoring an animal for a loved one, or making a donation to a charity.

If there's something in particular you had in mind for a gift, have a look in op shops, online secondhand market places, and local stores first. You might be surprised what you find at a much cheaper cost to your wallet - and to the environment.

When it comes to wrapping gifts, less packaging waste to discard the better.

Wrap gifts in fabric that can be reused, newspaper that can be recycled or, for an eco-friendly and personal touch, get your little one colouring and decorating recyclable paper to use as wrapping.

You can also send digital cards instead of a paper card, but if you have to send a greeting card look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label to ensure your cards of good cheer are good for the planet too.

Will your Christmas lunch look more like a traditional meal appropriate on a snowy English day, or will it suit the Australian climate you'll be celebrating in?

University of Adelaide's Professor Ankeny said Australian households were increasingly moving towards more seasonal produce to plate up this holiday season.

"In part it's because of wanting to be more sustainable but it also relates to things like supporting local farmers, being aware that they don't want things to come along distance, but also because it's fresher, it's nicer this time of year," Professor Ankeny said.

"The additional layer this Christmas is going to be related to people's nervousness about finances ... making things fresh from local produce may well be a more economical approach as well."

Consider donating funds to organisations such as Foodbank, OzHarvest and SecondBite which help feed those in need.