Thanksgiving is fast approaching in the United States and it’s time to think roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, family, football, food comas and over 293 million dollars of food waste – and that’s just in turkey alone. Add to that the fact that Thanksgiving Day is one of the heaviest travel days of the year and then most folks recover from their festive food bender by spending hours watching television, and carbon emissions for a single holiday skyrocket past 11 billion pounds.
Nothing about Thanksgiving is very sustainable, yet it would seem that giving thanks and sustainability should go hand in hand. We come together to celebrate, and part of that celebration should be of the Earth and the amazing resources we’ve been gifted.
So, what can you do to give thanks a little more sustainably this year? We’ve got some turkey day tips for you!
#1) By far, the least sustainable aspect of Thanksgiving is traveling. Roughly 39 million families travel every year for Thanksgiving. People traveling by car drive an average of 588 miles, producing 10.8 billion pounds of CO2. People traveling by plane fly an average of 500 miles, producing 800 million pounds of CO2. And while no one wants to give up time with their family to be more sustainable, consider carpooling to your destination and skipping out on air travel if possible. You could also consider hosting a “Friendsgiving” at home for the folks in your life who are staying in town. Guests bring a dish to share and everyone gets to take home leftovers. A travel and food waste win!
#2) It’s not just people traveling on Thanksgiving that rack up the miles, it’s also your food. Try to shop locally for your feast ingredients and be sure to purchase fruits and veggies that are in season (and organic if possible). This will cut down on the emissions produced as your food travels from farm to table. Shorter distance equals lower emissions.
#3) According to the NRDC, Thanksgiving dinner is expected to produce 200 million pounds of turkey waste. That’s a lot of turkey in the trash. The amount of water required for raising these discarded turkey scraps (100 billion gallons) is enough to supply all of New York City for more than 100 days. And let’s not forget all those sides. So, try serving yourself smaller portions initially and go back for seconds. Heaping it on your plate creates a situation where you’re more likely to have to toss the leftovers directly in the garbage as opposed to saving them for the next day. And there’s nothing better than day after Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches!
#4) Just putting this out there and it’s going to sound a bit crazy as the centerpiece of Thanksgiving is usually the turkey, but think about giving a meat free alternative a shot, like a Tofurky or other plant-based “roast”. If that’s a little too extreme, what about switching out just one meat dish for an extra veggie dish?
#5) If you’re able, compost your food scraps or bring them to a composting center in your neighborhood. If you don’t know where to do that, shoot us a message and we’ll do some research for you. Veggie scraps and turkey bones are also an amazing opportunity to cook up some delicious soup stock which lasts quite a while in your freezer.
#6) Leftovers are amazing, but there are only so many days a person can eat turkey in a row. So, freeze ‘em up and break ‘em out later at a later date.
#7) Skip the disposables – utensils, plates, and cups contribute to the increased CO2 emissions of an already heavy holiday. We know the holidays are a tough clean up in the kitchen, but utilizing your own dishes and cutlery is definitely the more environmentally friendly option. Conscript the friends and family to help with the cleanup. Think of it as affording them an opportunity to express their thanks for the meal!
#8) Invite your friends and family to bring along their own containers for leftovers. Everyone should get to wake up the next day for a deliciously sustainable Thanksgiving repeat.
#9) After all the eating is done, consider holding off on parking it in front of the TV. Step outside for a walk or have some board games ready to keep the family fun going. Thanksgiving is all about expressing our gratitude for what we have in our lives. What better way to do that than to embrace nature or give real attention to our loved ones?
Love, gratitude, and thanks are all endlessly sustainable. So, let’s give thanks for the amazing things in our lives this year by doing so with love, gratitude, and thanks for our environment, too!
