Thanksgiving, as with most holidays, is not known for its sustainability contributions. However, there definitely are ways to make your Thanksgiving a sustainable one! Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated all over the US. Although not everyone celebrates it, there are still always things to be thankful for. Even if you choose not to celebrate, these tips can apply to you or anyone in their day-to-day life. Keep reading to learn more!
No more turkey! This is probably the most obvious action you can take. The amount of turkey we eat on Thanksgiving is incredibly bad. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 46 million turkeys are killed each year for just Thanksgiving! The production of poultry might not be as environmentally harmful as red meat, however, consider the following: A turkey producing one pound of turkey meat releases 5 kg of CO2 emissions according to the Environmental Working Group and uses 520 gallons of water (if it's similar to chicken production as estimated by the Water Footprint Network). Also, turkeys are omnivores so not only would you be giving away plants that could be used to feed so many people in the world going hungry to unnecessary turkeys, but you would also be contributing to the production of more animal products for the turkeys to eat. Lastly, remember how unethical it is to do commercial farming with turkeys-- or any animal. Be intentional with where your dollar goes. Don’t pay other people to kill an animal you “love.” Aside from turkey, try making your whole table vegan. There are recipes for everything. Here are a few good resources if you want to consider this:
Organic local produce. If you aren’t ready to go full-on vegan with your food choices, you can try this. Buying your turkeys organically is a great option. Although it might not be ethical or cheap, it is a much better choice if you “need” a turkey. You should also buy any vegetables on the table from a local farmer. Thanksgiving is the end of their season, so it is especially important for you to show support to small businesses. Again, this food might be on the more expensive side, but really that will just help prevent overbuying and any chance of unwanted food waste.
Save those leftovers and compost! This brings me to my next point. Who doesn’t like Thanksgiving leftovers? If you do end up having some, be sure to save them for future meals. Thanksgiving is meant to be a feast, so it is an occasion that makes sense to have some extra. This does not mean you should buy food just to make your table look fuller. (Maybe instead get a smaller, second-hand table?) But save anything extra you have. Don’t let it go to waste. A lot of people will get sick of leftovers after a few days, this is why you shouldn’t overbuy (even if that means having hardly any leftovers at all). Also, with any food scraps you have from the process, be sure to throw them in your compost. They can give nutrients to your soil next spring.
No disposables! If you are planning on having a big feast, this is still no excuse to use disposable plates. Ditch those and be sure to use your reusables. This is also a good time to mention reusable napkins. As with any meal, there is no need for disposables. Use your reusables indefinitely. It saves money and the planet. It is that simple.
Use natural decorations and do activities with material you already have or recycled paper. Instead of buying any Thanksgiving decorations, make your own out of reused paper or multipurpose decorations. Using recycled paper or reusing old boxes is a great way to make your own decorations. This is a fun way to do activities with family and friends. You can make turkey hands, pumpkin cutouts, cornucopias, or fall leaves. You can also use natural resources from outside like colorful leaves. If you don’t want to make any waste from activities or decorations, you can do things like Thanksgiving trivia, sharing what you are thankful for, or just enjoying time with friends and family.
I hope this was a helpful blog and that it inspires you to have a more intentional and sustainable Thanksgiving. If you enjoyed this blog check out some of my others. Until next time, peace.