Tips For a Green Thanksgiving

The holidays are quickly approaching, with Thanksgiving just around the corner. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the holiday season is a time of year which sees a huge increase is global waste. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a time of waste, however, as long as you follow a few cautionary tips and make an attempt to stay “green” this holiday season.

Buy Local and Organic

Whenever you shop for a big holiday meal, it is best to buy both local and organic. Shopping local keeps your money in the local economy. Farmers Markets are a great place to purchase local, organic fruits and vegetables. When it comes to buying the turkey, look for an organic, preferably local bird. Don’t fall for things like ‘natural’ or ‘free range’ labels on the packaging unless it says ‘organic’, it’s really not.

Plan A Potluck Thanksgiving Dinner

Not only does having a potluck Thanksgiving dinner save the host a huge amount of time and money, it gives everyone a chance to pitch in and show off their cooking skills. A potluck dinner is more energy-efficient, since the host won’t have to spend the entire day over a heated oven cooking one dish after the next.

Keep Your Thermostat Down

If you are expecting to entertain quite a few guests in your home, make sure to turn your thermostat down. Having all those extra bodies in your house, in addition to the oven being on, will heat your rooms up fast. Having your heater on will not only make the atmosphere in your home hot and uncomfortable, it will literally be a total waste of energy.

Turn off the T.V.

Turning off the T.V. set on Thanksgiving day is easier said than done, especially if there are men in your family who love football. Instead of vegging out in front of the T.V. all day, think up something fun that the whole family can be involved in. For instance, instead of watching football all afternoon, why not organize your own game?

Split the family into teams, and spend the afternoon making memories while conserving energy- and burning off some of your own! If it’s raining (or snowing), get out a board game or suggest playing a card game.

Don’t Waste Leftovers

There’s bound to be leftovers at any Thanksgiving get-together- whether you’re hosting or a guest this year, chances are you’ll be eating turkey sandwiches for days. Instead of throwing away those leftovers once you’ve gotten sick of them, try planning ahead for some recipes you can make in which you can incorporate leftovers. If that doesn’t appeal to you, consider donating your leftovers to a food bank or homeless shelter.

These are just a mere few tips to get you started on planning for your green holiday season. Above all else, don’t forget to keep using your green cleaning and cooking tips, and recycle! The earth will thank you for it.

If you have any tips for a greener Thanksgiving, please share them in the comments!

image credit: TheVaultDFW on Flickr