The color green isn’t just for Christmas. With slightly more than two weeks to prepare for Thanksgiving, there’s still time for environmentally minded hosts to plan a green Thanksgiving. It’s not just about the food, but that’s an important part.
Here is The Examiner’s Top 10 list of ways to have a green Thanksgiving.
10 Reduce, reuse, recycle. The three Rs aren’t a new concept and can go a long way at Thanksgiving. Consider buying only the amount of food you will need to make your dinner and cut down on waste. Use green bags instead of paper or plastic when you do your grocery shopping and remember to recycle the packaging from your groceries when finished.
Linda Johnson, nutrition and health education specialist for the University of Missouri Extension, says not making too much food benefits more than just the planet.
“Not only does that help save the planet, but it helps you to not eat too much,” Johnson said. “So in turn, we’re being better stewards of ourselves.”
9 Go organic. There are a few organic stores in the area, and many grocery stores now boast an organic section. Look for fruits, veggies and grains that are free from pesticides and fertilizers.
Denise Schmitz, also a nutrition and health education specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, suggests keeping an eye out for coupons and discounts as a way to save money and cut the costs of buying organic.
“There’s no doubt organic food is better for the environment,” Schmitz says. “The more natural something is, you’re going to know what’s in it so it’s healthier.”
8 Use organic decorations. Don’t go for the tissue paper turkey automatically when your own yard can be the muse for your Thanksgiving decorations. Branches and dried flowers can help create a warm thankful atmosphere.
7 Avoid plastic dinnerware. If you don’t want to worry about dishes after your meal, take the extra measure to use biodegradable plates and flatware – items that can be composted when you’re finished.
“We need to think in terms of using paper products. Sometimes you’ll find dinnerware that’s made from corn products,” Johnson says. “Of course, the best thing to do is use your own dinnerware and wash it.”
6 Invite the neighbors and extended family. If just one person is doing the cooking, it will reduce the amount of energy used in your neighborhood and it will also reduce the amount of auto emissions on the road that day. Plus, it’s just a nice thing to do.
5 Travel smart. Consider carpooling if possible or just make sure your car is in top running condition in order to lower gas emissions and your impact on air pollution and global warming. About.com suggests people who fly purchase carbon credits to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated by your flight.
4 Buy locally. It’s the 100-mile concept – buying locally grown food helps save on packaging, shipping and gas emissions. There are plenty of places around the metro to help you prepare your green meal. The Web site www.localharvest.org offers an interactive map and search feature that lists all the places selling home-grown goods.
“There’s a tremendous energy cost to buying locally,” Johnson says. “It supports your local producers and helps your local economy. The longer a vegetable has been harvested, the more nutritional value you’re going to lose.”
3 Plant a tree. Start a new Thanksgiving tradition by planting a tree each year, and watching their progress over the years. According to green-living.families.com, one tree can absorb 26 pounds of carbon dioxide (a gas that contributes to global warming) in one year.
2 Donate your leftovers. If you haven’t reduced your menu enough and know you’ll have more leftovers than you can handle, call around to see if any local food kitchens will take your leftovers.
1 Consider your turkey. If a turkey is a must on your holiday table, there are plenty of ways to lessen his effect on the environment. Johnson suggests researching to find places that raise turkeys locally, and Schmitz suggests alternative methods to preparing the turkey such as smoking them.
“Keeping your oven on all day is a lot of use of energy,” Schmitz said.
Schmitz also suggests looking for free-range turkey when grocery shopping. She says free-range turkey tend to have less additives.
