How to Have a GREEN Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. Food, family, friends, football, more food and…waste. It’s not something we always consider when buying enough groceries to feed an army and spending 48 hours straight in the kitchen whipping up a feast for guests on this glorious turkey and pie filled day. But considering all that goes into making Thanksgiving Day memorable, the environment tends to come in second.

Take a moment to consider how you cook, travel, plan, purchase and dispose this year. And consider following a few – or better yet, all – of these tips for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly Thanksgiving.

• - Shop with reusable bags at the grocery store. Most stores sell them inexpensively, and many offer discounts when you use these instead of plastic bags.
• - Purchase locally grown foods. This not only supports your local farmers, but drastically cuts down on transportation costs and emissions.
  • - Watch the packaging of foods and supplies in stores, making it a point to get the item with the least amount of plastic wrapping.
• - When decorating, keep it simple. Lots of clutter usually means lots of waste.
• - With a large number of people in the house, it can get warm. Open a window instead of turning up the air conditioning.
• - Avoid paper napkins, plastic and Styrofoam plates when possible. If trying to cut down on water use from the dishwasher, look for biodegradable dishes.
• - Encourage carpooling when travel is involved.
• - Bake dishes in one session. This prevents the oven from being turned on and off over again. If possible, bake two dishes at a time, or have one ready to go once the dish before it is done.
• - Play outside or take a walk instead of using electricity from the TV.
• - Donate leftovers to a shelter or food bank, or freeze them for later use.
• - Instead of tossing fruit and vegetable scraps into the trash, add them to a compost pile.
• - Recycle all cans, plastic containers, jars and disposable containers if they cannot be reused.
• - Give Thanks.

The K&A Team wishes you a “Green” Thanksgiving filled with friends, family, laughter, memories.