Thanksgiving is tomorrow and you are probably rushing around making any last minute preparations. However, in all the chaos consider adopting some of these green tips to help green up your Thanksgiving feast.
Roasting Pan
You’ve probably made plans to get your bird in the oven tonight or early tomorrow morning. Instead of using disposable roasting trays, consider purchasing or borrowing a traditional roasting pan. It may not seem like a big deal, but if everyone in the US used a disposable tin roasting pan, we would add 46 million tinfoil pans to our landfill from Thanksgiving alone. Do your part and skip the tinfoil pans.
If you are set on using a disposable roasting pan, choose a recycled pan such as Eco-Foil. Eco-Foil is readily available in major grocery chains and the pans are made from recycled aluminum. The best part about the pans is how sturdy they are. You can actually wash them and reuse them multiple times if you desire – and when you are finished drop the pan back off at your local recycling facility.
Recycle
Set up a recycling station in your house for Thanksgiving. You may have lots of aluminum cans to dispose of and instead of tossing them in the garbage, place them in a designated recycling bag to drop off at your local recycling facility post-Thanksgiving.
Dinnerware
It may be tempting to grab a few bags of disposable plates or cups for your Thanksgiving feast, but opt for standard dinnerware instead. You will have some dishes to do, but you can always make it a family affair. Start a family tradition of rinsing your plates and putting them in the dish washer and skip the disposables. As an added bonus, dinner will seem like family dinner if you eat it on a real plate.
If you absolutely cannot do traditional dinnerware, purchase disposable items that can either be recycled or are made from recycled products. Another option is disposable plates or dinnerware made of sustainable material such as sugarcane. Bare by Solo makes a line of eco-friendly and sustainable disposable items that are perfect for the holidays.
Cut Your Waste
One big way to maintain an eco-friendly feast is to cut down on food waste. Even if you went overboard and have lots of leftovers, store them correctly so that you can enjoy them for the weekend. If you know you will not be able to eat all the leftovers consider freezing some or send them home with family.
If you are sending food home with the family ensure it is stored properly. Food should never sit out for longer than two hours. The food will need to cool completely before going home with your guests and it is preferred if you can put the food into a cooler or with ice for the journey home. Never let the food sit out for longer than 2 hours without being cooled.
These are just a few last minute tips to keeping your Thanksgiving feast Mother Nature friendly. What ways do you plan to green up your Thanksgiving feast this year?
About Tara
I am a wife and work-at-home mom of three. I am an avid blogger, social media manager, lover of food, and founder of WestHome Media. I love that I have found a way to stay at home with my children without giving up my profession. I am a green living advocate and love blogging about food, green living, and anything parenting! Check out my website at http://westhomemedia.com/.
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