Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving: How to Celebrate Sustainably

No work, good food, and lots of gifts. We love that. But without meaning it, we end up generating a lot of waste each Thanksgiving Day. So, this year, let us attempt to celebrate Thanksgiving more sustainably. You can do so by following some simple steps we will now touch upon.

Incorporate vegan dishes

People are unaware of this. Consuming less meat helps tackle climate change. Turkey is an integral part of Thanksgiving traditions, but did you know that a regular 20-pound turkey produces around 60 pounds of carbon dioxide?

Pick vegetables over meat this year. You do not necessarily have to go all vegan. Simple steps count. Use olive oil as a substitute for butter. Replace dairy with coconut milk. Ensure you are using sustainable wine options.

If you still wish to go for turkey, invest in smaller birds. Else, you can also cook up a vegetarian alternative like ToFurkey.

Trim food wastes

You might love Thanksgiving leftovers, but if the food is bought and cooked in excessive quantities, some get wasted. Some easy tricks can help you trim food waste this Thanksgiving.

• Communicate with your dinner guests to see who is bringing what
• Avoid making impulsive choices and bring only those ingredients that you need. 
• Make a solid plan to manage your leftovers.
• If there is already an excess of ingredients, look up recipes that need more materials.
• Do not eat with your eyes. Getting super excited and loading into your plate more food than you can eat will lead to wastage. To avoid leftover scraps, use smaller plates, drink a glass of water before you eat, and eat slowly.
• Adopting these practices can effectively aid in cutting down your food waste to the minimum. Also, while sharing food, do not forget to use reusable containers.

Things to keep in mind before shopping for Thanksgiving 

The shopping frenzy before Thanksgiving is something else. We know that. But since we spend so much of our money and resources on shopping for our favorite people, let us do it a little mindfully.

Shop from businesses that use sustainable tricks and techniques. Try to go small and local wherever possible. Shopping locally motivates the local communities around you and is also sustainable. Purchasing local goods means fewer transportation requirements and fewer greenhouse gases are released to deliver the products to your doorstep.

These products also reach you quickly, so they are fresh and nutrition-packed. Try to go for organic products whenever shopping. Organically produced goods do not involve toxic chemicals and are better for you and the environment.

Black Friday offers huge discounts and tempting deals, sure. But think about the increase in greenhouse gases due to countless shipping globally. Imagine the quantities of packaging waste generated. Therefore, this black Friday, consider switching to Green Friday. Green Friday works for not purchasing or purchasing only sustainable products manufactured by sustainable brands.

Decoration items that are plastic-made are often discarded after Thanksgiving and lead to overflowing landfills. Instead, use natural items to create a warm and ambient atmosphere. This way, you do not even have to spend on decorations.

You can even look for DIY options to convert regular household products into beautiful pieces. Some natural materials you can use this Thanksgiving are pumpkins, dried leaves, sticks and pinecones. Options are pretty much endless.

• Travel Sustainably 

If you plan to travel this Thanksgiving, consider carpooling with friends or relatives to ensure lesser emissions. Try to travel at off-peak times whenever possible. Fewer automobiles on the road means less traffic and less waste of gas. If you do not necessarily have to travel on Thanksgiving, postpone or skip your plans. If you can't postpone, take a bus or a train. Avoid driving your vehicle.

Conclusion

There are countless ways in which you can celebrate Thanksgiving sustainably. You do not have to be ultra-conscious and compromise with all the fun. Even adopting a few of the above ideas and implementing them this year will help you and the environment immensely. Remember that small baby steps can make all the difference. A thousand people who keep trying can make more positive changes than one perfect individual.