Here are 10 tips for a sustainable Thanksgiving:
1. Buy produce from a local farmer's market: The less distance that food has to travel to reach our plates, the less fuel goes into the environment. Less pollution and food waste is generated when you buy local and seasonal produce rather than buying it from a grocery store where it's been shipped from out of the area.
2. Buy organic or pasture raised meat and dairy: If you're not quite ready to go vegan, purchase your dairy products or meats from a local farmer, butcher or a nearby food co-op.
3. Shop during off peak hours to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions: Call your local grocer or shopping center to find out when their peak Thanksgiving shopping times are. Avoid these hours to skip sitting in heavy traffic or idling your car while you wait for a parking spot to finally open up.
4. Freeze vegetable peels for soup stock if you absolutely have to peel those potatoes and carrots: Once you collect enough frozen peels to fill up a stock pot half way, create a hearty winter vegetable broth that's both delicious and a clever waste free solution.
5. Use reusable containers to store side dishes: Instead of covering your leftover pumpkin with tin foil or plastic, refrigerate it in a reusable storage container. These stainless steel seal cups are great for cold foods and these Pyrex bowls are perfect for reheating food in the microwave.
6. Skip the bottled water and opt for batch beverages instead: Store a pitcher of fresh water in your refrigerator and encourage guests to drink from it throughout the night. Make batches of infused water, fruit punch, hot apple cider or coffee for guests to sip on.
7. Substitute paper napkins for cloth napkins: Not only are cloth napkins reusable and more eco friendly, they'll elevate your hosting game to the next level. If you really want to look fancy, decorate your Thanksgiving table with a cotton tablecloth picked up from a local consignment shop.
8. Reinvent Thanksgiving dishes with new recipes: When thousands of people scramble to buy turkey, potatoes, and cranberries within the span of a week, immense pressure is put on the food supply chain and on our farmers. Instead of eating the same stuff as everyone else, experiment with meal recipes that use other seasonal vegetables like beets, collard greens, persimmons, pomegranate, or brussel sprouts.
9. Opt for cage free or organic turkey: If your family resists a meat-free Thanksgiving, cook a small, sustainably-raised chicken or turkey for a less meat orientated food menu. Prepare plenty of delicious vegetarian sides for them to add to their plates.
10. Skip the plastic wrap and use reusable beeswax wraps to cover leftovers. Beeswax food wraps are a sustainable substitute for single use plastic wraps and mold perfectly to the shape of your food or dish. These beeswax wraps from EarthHero are woven together with organic cotton, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin.
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