Although the holidays can be magical, it’s unfortunate that household garbage increases by as much as 25 percent from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. Believe it or not, the largest percentage of that waste is food waste. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we thought it was the perfect time to share our tips and tricks to have a more sustainable Thanksgiving celebration!
- Plan your food shopping trip + stick to your shopping list: We’re suckers for the last minute check-out line grab, but do your best to only buy what you need. This will help cut down on food waste.
- Choose local and organic ingredients when possible: The closer your food is grown to where you live, the less environmental impact it has. Plus, it will probably taste better! Win-win.
- Skip produce bags: Load your produce directly into your cart. Easy-peasy.
- Use a reusable tote bag: Ask your cashier to skip the plastic bag, or no big deal if you forgot your cute reusable tote bag, just load your paid-for groceries back into the cart and directly into your car.
- Choose eco-friendly decor: First, try to use what you already have. You can create a beautiful seasonal table scape by dressing your favorite table linens and cloth napkins with fruit, produce and greenery or flowers from your yard. Search for unique candles and napkin rings and other seasonal decor items at your local thrift shop.
- Rent or borrow what you don’t have: Rent or borrow table linens, dishes, glasses and utensils if you don’t personally own enough of these things for the number of people attending your Thanksgiving.
- Make a plan for leftovers: Ask your friends and family members to bring tupperware from home to create take-home doggie bags. Trust us, you’ll be the star of the party if you share the leftovers!
- Store leftover food correctly: For the food you keep all for yourself (we get it, we love stuffing too!), make sure you store it correctly. The rule of thumb is that leftovers can be safely kept in the refrigerator for three to four days and frozen for up to 6 months. Invest in reusable beeswax wraps for leftovers you’ll eat quickly and Stasher bags for your frozen goods.
- It’s a great time to compost: Compost the inedible stuff, like turkey bones, potato peels and eggshells. If leftover food does go bad, try to compost it!
- Clean more sustainably: All you want to do is nap, but it’s time to clean up. Instead of whipping out paper towels and disposable wipes, grab your dish towels and create your own cleaning solution with one part white vinegar, one part water and a squeeze of lemon.
