Thanksgiving is all about being grateful for everything that we have and enjoy; but most of the time, our planet and environment are not on top of our lists.
I get it. All the infinite possibilities for decorations and meal prepping are very exciting, especially when you have the budget to go all out and organize the dinner of your dreams. But, the truth is that besides the enjoyment that all of this brings us for a couple of hours, all the waste that gets to landfills may not be worth the damage…
If you need good proof that you can combine both ecological and trendy in your description for this year’s Thanksgiving, here you will find the best and easiest tips on how to reduce your waste.
Plan it thoughtfully
There is no need to go crazy especially with the amount of food you make. Food waste is the number one problem of this type of holidays and not only are you throwing away the leftovers, but also your time and money spent on cooking.
So make it count. Keep in mind how many people will attend your dinner and cook accordingly. You´ll be surprised at how much you save when you don’t have to store food for the rest of the week hoping to eat them and at the end having to throw some of them away.
Reuse to reduce
We´ve all been taught the 3 R steps for a more sustainable lifestyle and most people prioritizes recycling over reducing and reusing when it should be the other way around.
Take a look at what you already have. I’m sure you have enough tableware, a few Thanksgiving or fall themed decorations around, and a couple of the ingredients stored on your pantry. Give a preferential use to all of these and you´ll see how your shopping list won’t be too long and expensive.
Essentially local
Surely there will be some things that you will have to buy in order to host the perfect Thanksgiving dinner but even in that you can make it consciously.
When talking about food, go visit your local farmers market. Take your reusable bags and walk through the place looking for everything you may need; that way, you will not only be helping the environment but also supporting your community for a lower price compared to the ones at the grocery store.
Make alliances
As for the decorations or basically anything, don´t be afraid to ask. Borrow those cute pumpkins from your friend; ask your mom for that ingredient that you are missing; convince your attendants to bring their own containers to take home some leftovers… or you can simply buy second hand.
The options are endless and you don’t have to end up with a bunch of waste around.
Keep it simple
Thanksgiving is all about being grateful for what we already have. Prioritize having quality time with your loved ones, a delicious meal on the table and enjoying the celebration as much as you can. The best thing? you don’t have to break the bank… or the planet to achieve that!
