Resources abound on the Web for making your Thanksgiving feast more sustainable. Sites such as Treehugger.com, Earth911.com and MNN.com offer Thanksgiving greening tips galore.
In honor of the string of wins the NC State football team has over UNC, we offer our five favorite tips for reducing your impact this Thanksgiving:
- Turn back the thermostat! Whether you are headed out of town or just across town, NC Green Power estimates that you can save 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10-15 degrees for eight hours a day.
- Volunteer! On your way over to Grandma’s stop and do something meaningful with your friends, kids and/or spouse. Find a local soup kitchen here.
- Lighten up! The holidays can cause a lot of mental stress. Keep the conversation tone light and everyone will leave happy. Subjects to avoid include politics, religion and Aunt Sue’s decision to sail around the world in her homemade boat.
- Buy Local! Visit your local farmer’s market and challenge yourself to create recipes out of seasonal vegetables. 101cookbooks.com offers this list as a good starting point. Additionally, buy local beer and organic wines and try making that dressing from scratch, not out of the box!
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! It is estimated that Americans waste 25% of the food prepared for Thanksgiving. Use reusable containers to package up leftovers and avoid plastic wrap and aluminum foil. The urge will be great to use disposable plates, but don’t let all that waste wind up in the landfill! Stock the dishwasher and run it during off peak times.
Above all, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on old memories and create new ones. Have fun implementing these easy steps and your family can take pride in knowing you are honoring the Earth and setting a standard for the younger generation.