Happy Thanksgiving to readers in the US and Happy Holidays to everyone around the globe.
It is the holiday season around the world and that usually means time for gathering with friends and family to feast, share gifts, and spend time together. But the holidays also mean an increase in waste.
In the US we toss out about 25% more trash during the holidays.
Americans waste over 305 million pounds of food at Thanksgiving.
Around 30 - 40% of food is wasted in the US and most of it ends up in our landfills.
Rotting food in landfills is a major contributor to methane emissions, which is more dangerous than CO2 because it sticks around in our atmosphere for at least 15 years and traps even more heat than CO2.
Sadly, in the US alone, about 13 million children don’t get enough food.
To reduce waste, be thoughtful and try the following:
Please don’t take the easy way out and use disposable dishes just because you’re going to have a full house for a holiday meal.
Your guests shouldn’t care if your plates don’t match. They came for the good food and companionship.😁🦃
If you don’t have enough reusable dishes, hit your local thrift store.
Donate them after the holidays if you don’t have space or want to keep them.
My favorite is Goodwill, a non-profit that employs people who are getting back on their feet. You can write off your donation, and they have stores everywhere.
Cook and bake from scratch.
Don’t buy premade, packaged foods. You can always find recipes that can be made a few days ahead of time and stored until your guests come.
Visit your farmers market to get the freshest, most nutritious ingredients.
Make sure you have freezer-safe reusable containers to store leftovers.
Carry reusable containers for leftovers, even if eating out at a restaurant.
Decorate with reusable and compostable items, not disposable crap that will harm Mother Earth.
Buy fall gourds and pumpkins at your local farmer's market.
Your own backyard may have leaves or flowers that will make great decorations. Get creative!
To reduce food waste, here are some tips that can help:
Don’t cook a ton more food than you know you will eat.
Think ahead how much you have eaten leftovers in the past, or whether your relatives like taking home more than just a slice of pumpkin pie.
There are plenty of online resources to help you figure out how much food you need to make for the amount of guests you are having.
Check out the Guest-imator from SaveTheFood.com.
Have containers for your guests to take home leftovers, or ask them to bring their own reusable food storage containers.
I never throw out or recycle my cottage cheese or large yogurt containers. I use them for food storage and don’t miss them if I give them to guests to take home leftovers.
Eating out? Make sure to carry your own “doggy bag.”
I went out to eat for my birthday last month and carried my usable zip-close bag. I love these silicone bags because they go in my dishwasher.
Check out this video on reusable food containers from Sustainable Jungle.
Let’s be Thankful for our Planet!
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