Tips for a More Sustainable Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is one of our favorite holidays when we all look forward to the annual American ritual of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey and all of the trimmings, surrounded by family and friends. It is a day free from the commercialism of other holidays and a day to give thanks for all of our blessings.

Thanksgiving is also a great time to thank Mother Nature for all her bounty and blessings by practicing more sustainable Thanksgiving rituals. Here are a number of tips to help achieve that aim.

Minimize waste
Use reusable dinnerware, glasses and napkins to reduce the amount of materials that end up in landfills.
Buy local and organic
Local food is fresher, cuts down on food miles and support local farmers. Choosing organic foods not only is more humane for the animal but free range and naturally fed animals taste better and are healthier.
BYO Bags
Don’t forget your reusable bags when shopping. Let’s work to keep plastic out of the waste stream.
Create a Natural Centerpiece
Mother Nature can supply leaves, acorns, pine cones … that will make a beautiful centerpiece. Use your creativity and if you are not feeling especially creative, look online for ideas that you can copy.
Eat less
Thanksgiving is a day that we tend to associate with eating to excess. Be healthy. Slow down to enjoy your food. While you’re at it, eat less meat. We’re not suggesting that you eschew the turkey, but the meat industry is the number one source of methane gas which is a major contributor to climate change. Try filling your plate with a little less meat and more of the green healthy sides.
Drink Local Water
Eschew the bottled water and drink local water. If you are concerned about its quality, get a filter. Americans spend billions on bottled water each year which, not only is wasteful, but leaches toxic chemicals from the plastic into the water. It also creates mountains of plastic waste that needs to be disposed of.
Leftovers
Try to get more out of your leftovers. Use the leftover turkey carcass for a soup base and leftover meat and vegetables in stews or salads. Try to use up all of the food that you purchased to reduce waste.
Compost
Don’t forget to add the vegetative foods that cannot be reused to your compost pile.
Enjoy the Outdoors
Tomorrow’s weather in our area if forecast to be cool, but sunny. It is perfect for squeezing in a walk and connecting with nature. It not only makes you feel better, it is good for your health!
Give Thanks.
Remember to give back to others as you are thankful for all of your own blessings. Make a donation to a good cause. Meals on Wheels, Mercer Street Friends, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and other organizations all work to end hunger in America and are a good place to give back.