The Do’s and Don’ts of a Green Thanksgiving

So you’re planning your Thanksgiving holiday – deciding what you’re doing, where you will be going and what you will eat. But here’s something else we should also be thinking about – how we can reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact this Thanksgiving season. It’s hard to see how we can make a holiday sometimes identified with glutton and excess less wasteful, but we can. We just have to think a little outside of the box and see where we can make some changes or cut back; here are some simple do’s and don’ts.

How to travel: If you have to travel this thanksgiving, you can reduce your carbon emissions by changing how you travel. Do carpool together with other family members when you’re all going to the same place.

And if you have to travel do travel by train when possible. Don’t have everyone drive separately unless unavoidable and try to avoid flying or commuting long distances in multiple vehicles.

How to decorate: Thanksgiving is autumn themed so when decorating you can simply bring some autumn into your home. Do use natural products like pumpkins, gourds, wheat, leaves, corn and mums. Decorating your table with produce you can cook and enjoy later is both functional as well as tasty. Fall leaves gathered from the yard or sidewalk can be arranged on the table and under plates to make a colorful statement. Best part is these items are all plant-based so they are compostable at the end or, in the case of the produce, can be consumed. Don’t spend money on mass produced decorations that you toss out each year.

What to do about food: What you decided to enjoy for your Thanksgiving meal will have the most environmental impact. Do opt for a vegetarian or vegan Thanksgiving, removing the turkey all together. As we know, produce has far less environmental impact then meat. When buying your produce do buy locally grown or from farmers’ markets so your food isn’t being transported vast distances. And when you do go shopping do take your reusable bags with you. If you have to have a turkey do get a heritage bird or an organic one. But be careful of imposters and remember that “free range” does not mean animals happily roaming throughout vast hills. Another do is to use all those leftovers in things like Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches; never toss good food out. Don’t over buy when at the grocery store and don’t cook too much. If you do end up with more leftovers then you can handle give it to a family member, coworker, friend or neighbor who you know will appreciate it.
How to set your table: This is where making a greener effort is less obvious. Do use what you already have. Don’t buy disposable plates and utensils; these use once and discard often plastic products are not good for the environment. There is no reason to go out and buy disposable plates with fall leaves on them when you have dishware at home. If you’re worried that you won’t have enough plates for everyone let your visiting family know to bring some and you’ll be covered. If you have to buy disposable do not buy plastic or Styrofoam products as these are the worst. Stick with paper (Marcal Small Steps) or look for compostable dinnerware and those made from recycled materials. Tip: for more upscale designer-like dinnerware options, we like Bambu, Birchware and VerTerra as earth-conscious choices. You can find them on Amazon

With these simple tips anyone can have themselves a green-Thanksgiving. After all, our personal health and the earth we live on are perhaps the biggest things to be thankful for this season.
photo credit: (vegetarian thanksgiving) ohmyveggies.com/