Guide to a Sustainable Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and we have a guide to a sustainable Thanksgiving.

In the USA, an estimated 305 million pounds of food from Thanksgiving dinner are wasted every year. With 305 million pounds of food, 76.25 million and 101.5 million people can be fed for one day. In addition, the amount of plastic due to single-use cups, cutlery, plates, table cloths is considerable. It’s time to think of sustainable ways to celebrate the holiday.

We have a short guide to help you reduce plastic and food waste during Thanksgiving holiday.

1. Avoid food waste by rethinking serving sizes: most Thanksgiving dishes are made to feed an entire neighborhood, instead really think about the amount of food your guests will really eat.
2. Buy locally grown: reduce carbon footprint buy purchasing locally grown and fed turkeys.
3. Only must-have items in the menu: the one dish that no one ever eats, skip it and you’ll avoid unnecessary food waste.
4. Use existing items in your pantry and buy organic: check your ingredient list before you shop for more items that will only sit in your pantry or fridge until you have to toss them; if possible, buy organic.
5. Decorate with nature instead of purchased items: avoid buying center pieces or any other decorations and use leafs, greenery and other items that can be found in nature.
6. Freeze leftover ingredients: the veggies you have left over for your green bean and broccoli casserole, freeze them to use later.
7. Avoid plastic/ single-use plates, cups and napkins: use your nice china or purchase items that can be reused the following year.
8. Increase veggies in the menu, instead of carnivore dishes: the meat industry is the #1 source of methane gas.
9. Avoid aluminum roasting pans, purchase reusable pans: reduce waste by purchasing pans and pots that can be reused the following year.
10. Use reusable containers for left-overs: provide your guests with reusable containers for the left-overs to avoid plastic waste
11. Run the dishwasher with full capacity: fill up your dishwasher to its capacity and avoid wasting water.
12. Choose a local holiday celebration or travel during off-peak hours: driving and flying consumes gas and emits emissions.

Let’s be part of the solution and not part of problem.