How to Have a Green Thanksgiving

Think "green" this Thanksgiving. You'll feel better about yourself when you are giving back for all that you have to be thankful for. Plan an eco-friendly holiday. Big celebrations don't have to negatively impact the environment. Go organic, get creative and reduce your waste. Do your part to make this Thanksgiving holiday a little more "green." Even if you are traveling lots of miles and using up lots of gas, it isn't too difficult to help even out that carbon footprint if you are conscious of all the other choices you make along the way.

Instructions

1. Serve organic foods. Organic foods are completely chemical-free and less harmful to the environment. Consider serving "tofurky" instead of real turkey. It's just as tasty. Shop at a local farmer's market to buy organic fruits and vegetables for your side dishes. When you buy local, you reduce the energy used to transport products.

2. Keep decorations simple. It's tempting to purchase Thanksgiving decorations, but many of these plastic and paper items end up in the landfills. Create Thanksgiving decorations by collecting interesting things from the outdoors. Fall leaves, acorns, pine cones, and twigs make lovely fall-themed center pieces. Arrange the items you collect in brown, orange or yellow bowls to give your tables a festive look.

3. Celebrate your green holiday with neighbors. Many people travel great distances during the Thanksgiving Holidays. This consumes an excessive amount of energy in a short amount of time. Reduce energy waste when you invite your neighbors to Thanksgiving dinner. You'll get to know your neighbors better and make a positive impact on the environment. If you're going home for the holidays, encourage your parents to invite their neighbors.

4. Use traditional silverware. Avoid using paper plates and plastic silverware. Although this makes cleaning up easier, it creates a lot of waste. Instead, even if you are eating outdoors, bring out glass plates and traditional silverware.

5. Compost your leftovers. While it is better to only cook what you'll use, there are often plenty of leftovers after Thanksgiving dinner. After a week of eating leftovers, throw any uneaten foods on your compost heap. Composting reduces waste in the landfills and creates a useful product that benefits the environment. Find out which food scraps to compost online at the website listed in our Resources section.

6. Talk about the things that matter to you around the dinner table. When it's your turn to list what you are thankful for, talk about the environment and what being "green" means to you.

Tips & Warnings

• Use reusable, canvas bags when you shop for your Thanksgiving dinner ingredients. Disposable, plastic bags are harmful to the environment.

• Avoid serving packaged foods. These foods are typically less healthy and create a lot of waste for the landfills.

Resources

• Know which food scraps to compost