With Thanksgiving fast approaching, it’s time to hunker down and start planning our festive meals! While this time of year is when the most food and other waste is sent to landfills, you can do your part to keep your Thanksgiving as low-waste as possible.
Here are some tips that will help you show your gratitude for the planet.
Plan ahead
One of the biggest conversations surrounding the topic of food waste is the importance of planning ahead. Make your list and check it twice, even if it’s not Christmas. A simple Google search will tell you the amount of turkey that you need for how many guests you have attending your event.
If you are bringing a dish to pass to someone else’s house, make sure you ask them how many people it needs to feed. Also – try to make a dish that everyone will enjoy. You may love your grandma’s recipe for Watergate salad, but you might be the only one and those extras could end up in the trash.
Planning ahead also includes thinking about Christmas. Buying bulk on baking supplies that you will use within the next month or so just makes sense – and reduces the amount of trash produced from the packaging of several smaller containers of the same item.
Do your dishes…and your laundry
It’s become a habit in the past decade for people to buy Thanksgiving-themed strong disposable plates rather than putting out their regular dishes or good China for the big event. And plastic utensils have replaced our metal forks, spoons, and knives. But using washable dishes helps prevent all those disposables from heading to the landfill. Maybe instead of leaving the one giant dishes pile for whoever is hosting, you set up a rinsing station that will make the task a bit easier?
And let’s not leave your laundry out of this. Gone are the days when fabric tablecloths and napkins are the norm, but having these that can be tucked away every year reused will help reduce your holiday waste.
Keep recycling bins handy
While pointing out where the trash can is to your Thanksgiving guests…why not point out where the recycling bin is as well? Better yet, put the recycling bin in easily accessible locations. Remind everyone that beverage cans and bottles can and should be recycled!
Leftovers are the best part!
One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is that there is usually enough food that I don’t have to do a lot of cooking for a few days. Make sure when you are packing up food for your guests to take home that you avoid plastic baggies that cannot be recycled.
Another great way to make the most of your remaining food is to find a new recipe. The Internet is full of ideas for great meals you can make from Thanksgiving dinner ingredients! Try doing a challenge with your friends and family to see who can come up with the tastiest and most creative turkey recipe!
Have a happy, healthy, and sustainable Thanksgiving.