Eco Friendly Thanksgiving

There are lots of ways to improve our Thanksgiving celebrations. Did you know that approximately 13 million cards are sold every year on Thanksgiving? 700,000 trees are cut down per year to make all those cards and with most cards ending end up in the trash.

And according to USA Today "About 200 million pounds of turkey alone are thrown out after Thanksgiving. " But it's not just food that goes to waste, "the water and energy used to grow that food, package it, wash it and ship it to your local grocery store.”
 

Don’t fret. Just make Thanksgiving greener!

• Build a sustainable menu: Shop locally and make a strategic plan, so you won't buy more than the necessary elements. Eat less meat but of higher quality and increase your consumption of vegetables - especially if you have grown them at home.
  • Check out these 30 Thanksgiving Vegetarian Recipes
• Pack up leftovers, recycle, and compost:  Use reusable containers if you have leftovers, recycle what you can, and compost the ultimate parts. However, be wise with your food acquisition and avoid wasting it. 
  • Check out these eco-friendly kitchen tools and food containers.
• Green your kitchen with these sustainable kitchen products from serving trays, containers, cutting boards, utensils and more
• Green gift giving. Show the hosts gratitude with these creative and eco-friendly host gift ideas.  Also, make your own wrapping paper with pieces of fabric or reuse gift bags, tissue paper and gift paper. Be a conscious buyer and make sure that your gifts are going to be meaningful and useful for others.  Check out our green gift ideas
• Give or serve sustainable food and beverages including chocolate, teas, and reusable mugs and thermoses. 
• Carpool: Limit your transportation carbon footprint,  use public transportation, or safely carpool. The fewer emissions that go into the air, the better. 
• Donate and Volunteer: Giving back either things or time is also part of this holiday. Support your community and show your gratitude to them.

10 Ways to Share Your Thankfulness

1. Offer a genuine hug to someone you're grateful for.
2. Take a photo of something you consider beautiful.
3. Volunteer in your local community. 
4. Pick up litter at your nearby place.
5. Donate things you no longer need.
6. Call a loved one and remind them why they are important to you
7. Compliment a stranger
8. Visit an animal shelter and help them out if possible. 
9. Write down 3 positive ways to describe yourself.
10. Make an impact: smile at people you encounter.