10 Ways to have a Green Thanksgiving

1.  Cook less. Do you remember thinking, “Wow, I cooked way too much food!” around this time last year? If so, cook less!  Too many left overs means at least some will go to waste.

2.  Eat local. Buy, cook and eat locally grown food!  Not only are you supporting your local economy, it tastes better, as it does not have to be maintained on a shelf.

3.  Cook organic. Organic food is grown without artificial fertilizers and hormones, so it is all around better for the environment and for you!  Buy everything organic from your turkey to your fruits, veggies and milk.

4.  Use glasswear. Though it may be tempting to take out the plastic silverwear and paper plates, think about how much you’re wasting!  Use your glasswear and silverwear.  If you don’t have enough, ask guests to bring some along.  Worried about doing all those dishes? Throw them in the dishwasher - it uses less water than you would washing them by hand.

5.  Make decorations. So much of the holiday spirit are the decorations we place around our house.  As I mentioned in  my previous article, making decorations from nature is the greenest way to brighten your holiday.  Use construction paper to make cut outs of Pilgrims and turkeys — and then recycle the paper, or make a cornucopia with fruits and vegetables and use it as a center peice.

6.  Stay home if you can. Less travel = less stress!  Also, by staying home you can do your part in reducing global warming by lowering your auto emissions.  Seems like a win/win to me!

7.  If you travel, travel green! Carpool if your destination is within driving distance. If Grandmother’s house is more than a hop, skip and a jump, turn down your thermostat for the duration of your trip.  If you’re flying, consider purchasing carbon credits to offset the carbon dioxide released during your flight.

8.  Pay attention to packaging. Buy products with the least amount of packaging, and check to see if the packaging is environmentally friendly.  And as always, R-E-C-Y-C-L-E!

9.  Get outside. Enjoy the great outdoors and all mother nature has to offer us this Thanksgiving.  Also, open your windows to let a breeze in rather than turning on fans.

10.  Plant a tree. Make it a new family tradition - give thanks to the earth by planting a tree on Thanksgiving from this year forward!

How are you going green this Thanksgiving?