Thanksgiving is the time to reunite with our loved ones and can be also the perfect time to reunite with nature and try to live greener. This particular holiday takes a lot of preparation because is something that we are all looking forward to. From menu planning to the guest list; from cleaning the house to accommodate family that is coming to spend some days with us; from decoration to think about activities to make everyone spend a good time. The list is endless and be greener seems harder than it is.
So, I know that you are busy with all the tidying and cooking but with this easy guide for a greener Thanksgiving you won’t spend any extra minute of your precious time.
- Decorate with nature: make your door wreath and table centerpiece with natural flowers, fruits and leaves. You can pick flowers from your garden or even exchange them with your neighbours to start a new Thanksgiving tradition ;) Autumn leaves are beautiful and can give you colour and texture even without flowers, so be creative with the things that you have at hand and avoid using plastic ribbons or pieces that will be disposed and are not biodegradable.
- Reduce plastic bottles using glass reusable ones for tap water: the thing is that filtered or unfiltered, tap water is good for consumption and there are lots of beautiful and ecological reusable bottles to keep in the fridge and take to the table at the party. Even empty clear bottles of whiskey or tequila can be decorated with special paint and get back to life as water bottles with an original and personalized Thanksgiving theme.
- Go vegan with the menu: traditional Thanksgiving dinner is full of processed animal products but now there are lots of delicious and easy recipes with vegan alternatives. If not in full, at least give them a try with half of the menu and invite vegan or vegetarian friends to be judges of your new culinary ventures. In my experience, even the non-vegetarian guests come to eat everything with the same joy if you give them a tasty option.
- Shop smart in local farmers markets: research which markets are close from home and pay them a visit the days before the holiday to see what kind of the ingredients you might find there and to meet the sellers. That’s also a very good plan to do with the kids because markets are usually a very colorful experience and they love to smell and feel all the organic products that are so different from the ones in the chain supermarkets.
- Sort waste and start a compost bin: during holidays there is a lot more waste than usual and with all the cooking, organic waste is king. Fruit peels and centers, vegetables and infusions waste are the base of the compost for which you can find a lot of instructions online. You can save a lot of waste to be thrown away and -at the same time- you will save money on compost and fertilizer for your garden or plant pots.
Sounds doable? Of course! Do you have any other tip to share? Give it in the comments.
Next holiday try this easy guide to live a greener Thanksgiving and tell us the results.
Photo credit: jameskm03 via VisualHunt / CC BY-SA
Posted November 23, 2020
by Treeium Inc..