If you’re looking for how you can celebrate Thanksgiving and still save the environment, here’s a few eco-friendly tips for thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving isn’t a new thing. It’s a celebration we partake in every year (at least in some part of the world). I mean, there’s a lot to be thankful for. Although this year’s Thanksgiving is going to have a big twist due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and with just a few days away, there’s a whole lot of last minute planning to be done.

Tip 1: Planning

Planning is the first step and the most important tip of all the eco-friendly tips for Thanksgiving. In anything you want to do, you need to plan. When you plan, you’ll have an idea of what you should do and how you’ll go about doing it. You need to plan your meals to know what you should cook. When planning, try to plan your meals around in-season foods.

Tip 2: Make a list

Now you know what you should cook, making a list is an important step. Write down what you need and the quantity so you don’t go buying a whole lot of random stuff, only to realize you don’t need half of them. This will not only help you cut down waste, but also save you time and cash.

When making your Thanksgiving shopping list, try to arrange them based on their importance. Put the ones you really need on the top of the list and the less important ones at the bottom. When you do this, you’d find out you may not need the less important ones.

Tip 3: Shop locally, buy organic

When shopping, shop locally and buy organic stuff. Buying from your local store or farm will help reduce your carbon footprint and cut down emissions since you won’t have to travel a long way. Buying organic foodstuff is also important since they’re grown naturally without the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and more sustainable farming practices are carried out.

Tip 4: More plant, less meat

Animal production is contributing a lot to climate change so why not switch things up a bit? Reduce the meat and add more plant-based stuff to your meals. There are a lot of plant-based alternatives and recipes out there. Go for them. You can also swap your ingredients for more plant-based stuff.

Tip 5: No plastic

Plastic pollution is a global problem and there’s now more need than ever to drop the plastic. From your food packaging to your decorations, make them plastic free. You can make your decorations using plants, flowers, leaves, and other eco-friendly materials. Bring your own bag for shopping. Use reusable plate and cutlery set like those from bamboo or the regular stainless steel.

Tip 6: Cook little

With the current COVID-19 crisis comes restrictions. You’re not going to have a large crowd or a full house to celebrate. Everything is going to be small and on a low so yes you don’t need, you HAVE to cook little.

If you can, make a headcount of everyone that’ll be at your small gathering so you know how many people you’ll be cooking for. Doing this will go a long way in reducing food waste.

Tip 7: Leftovers

If you end up having leftovers from the little you cooked, store them properly so you can eat again the next day. Plan your meals around them, try new stuff with them, give to your neighbors, families and friends, anything but do not throw them away.

When storing your leftovers, store them in reusable containers like stainless steel, rather than plastic. No plastic remember?

Tip 8: Composting

Composting is what you can do to prevent your food scraps ending up in landfills releasing methane. Methane is another greenhouse gas currently contributing to climate change. Make a compost bin and put your scraps. If you can’t make one, you can buy or improvise. Your compost bin can be kept outside or in your kitchen.

Now you have these eco-friendly tips for thanksgiving, put them to good use. Remember, no large gathering. Keep it small and put on a face mask.

Stay safe and happy Thanksgiving!

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