Family, food and tradition are the mainstays of this annual day of giving thanks, which may seem an impossible hurdle to overcome when it comes to going eco-friendly. But new traditions need to start somewhere and why not include giving thanks to the planet along with the other blessings you acknowledge on this special day, by doing something to help insure its health for future generations?
And as the following tips will show, it doesn’t take a whole lot of work or inconvenience to going green on Thanksgiving and will more likely result in more fun and saving a few dollars to boot!
- Living La Vida Local—Let’s face it, Thanksgiving is a lot about the food. Try to do as much of your food shopping at the local farmers market. All your veggies, dairy, ingredients for pie fillings, cider and more can be purchased from local purveyors, which reduces the distance the food has to travel to get to your table. Shorter distance = less carbon emissions. Plus, organic food tastes better!
- Did someone say “organic”?—Regardless of the benefits that may or may not come with eating organically, there is no question the practice is better for the environment; fewer pesticides and toxic chemicals seeping into the soil and tributaries.
- Talking Turkey—Forgo the store bought frozen name brands. There are a growing number of turkey farms across the country from which to get your bird. Pasture-raised organic turkeys, like their vegetable counterparts, are exponentially more delicious and better for the environment than the turkey mills whence the “ice blocks” in your grocer’s freezer hail.
- Veg Out—You may want to sit down for this, but have you considered going vegetarian for Thanksgiving? Meat production is a major cause of deforestation and global greenhouse gas emissions, more so than transportation. That’s right: driving to your loved one’s home for Thanksgiving is less destructive than that turkey leg you’ll be munching on later. Besides, there are usually so many delicious sides—sweet potatoes, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, carrots, peas, butternut squash, stuffing (there are a plethora of yummy recipes that don’t require meat), broccoli, asparagus, salad, soup, etc.—that will fill you up and leave plenty of room for second dessert helpings.
- Get Wicked—Instead of turning on more lamps and wasting electricity, fire up some festive candles. Different sizes, shapes and colors along the mantel, on the dinner table and throughout the house set a warm and fuzzy tableau. Use unscented beeswax or soy candles for that extra “green” touch.
- Chillax—With the additional warm bodies in the house, the day-long heat of the stove at work and all the candles you’ll be lighting, turn down the thermostat 3-5 degrees. No one will notice.
- No Paper or Plastic—Use real dinnerware—dishes and utensils—and fabric napkins. Make clean-up a family affair and reduce the amount of waste heading to landfills every holiday.
- Waste Not—Don’t throw good food away. Send guests home with leftovers and properly store easily re-heatable portion sizes in the freezer
- Over the River and Through the Woods—If you are driving this Thanksgiving, make sure your car is properly tuned; the air filters are checked and changed, if necessary, and your tires are properly inflated, to get the most gas mileage and cause as few gas emissions as possible. For more “green” driving tops, check here.
- Recycle and compost—Set up recycling bins, clearly labeled for “glass,” “plastic” and “paper.” Save vegetable peelings for soup; make stock from the carcass of the turkey, after you’ve removed all the meat for sandwiches later in the week. All remaining vegetable matter can be composted.
You don’t have to live in the country or in a free-standing house with a yard to compost. L.E.S. Ecology works toward a more sustainable New York City by providing community-based recycling and composting programs, developing local stewardship of green space, and increasing community awareness, involvement and youth development through environmental education programs. They sell compost bins for indoor and outdoor composting, red wiggler worms, compost cranks, as well as its New York Paydirt Potting Soil and Compost. For more info or to order, call (212) 477-4022.
