Tips for a Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season here in the US. Unfortunately, it also marks a drastic increase in food and packaging waste. Did you know that between Thanksgiving and the New Year, Americans throw away 25% more trash? This extra waste equals about 25 million tons of garbage. On Thanksgiving alone, about $293 million worth of food is wasted in the US. Food waste is costly, not only for us, but also for the environment. When we throw food or other organic material away, it enters the waste stream and winds up in a landfill. At the landfill, it’s buried, begins to decompose anaerobically, and emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas and contributor to climate change.
At Explore Ecology, we’re always looking for ways to lessen our impact on the environment. How can we ensure that we have an abundant, satisfying, and less wasteful Thanksgiving? Here are some tips to help you celebrate the season and take care of the planet.
- Bring a large assortment of reusable shopping bags with you to the store- smaller bags for bulk items and produce and larger bags for groceries.
- Purchase items that come with less packaging and try to avoid buying pre-packaged produce.
- Buy from bulk bins if your store has them.
- Support local farmers by buying ingredients sourced close to home. Shopping locally also helps cut down on transportation-related emissions.
- Practice stem to root cooking- use as much of your vegetables as you can.
- Have a lot of leftover fresh herbs? Cover them with olive oil and freeze in ice cube trays for future use.
- Avoid single use plastic or styrofoam and use real utensils, plates, and cups. Cloth napkins look beautiful and can be washed and reused.
- Have your guests and family members bring their own take away containers, so you feed them and not the landfill.
- Practice zero waste kitchen rules. Freeze leftovers instead of throwing them out so you can feast again in a couple of weeks. Compost food scraps. If you don’t have a compost pile or worm bin, creating one could be a fun project for the long weekend. Worm bins are especially easy and transform your food scraps into a nutrient rich soil amendment.
We wish you and yours a fabulous and safe Thanksgiving!
Eva grew up in Berkeley, CA and is a recent graduate of UCSB, where she studied Aquatic Biology and German Language. During her undergrad, Eva worked as an aquarist at UCSB’s Research Experience and Education Facility (the REEF), where she managed the aquarium facility and found a love for science communication and conservation.
Rachel Palmer
Nicole is a mixed media artist and vintage goods specialist who has been managing Art from Scrap since 2020.
Veronica grew up in San Diego and spent four years in San Luis Obispo studying Animal Science at Cal Poly. As an undergrad she learned lots about livestock, agriculture, and wildlife.
Lydia
Lindsay Johnson
MELISSA BROOKS
Jenny joined Explore Ecology first as an Environmental Educator, then as a Program Coordinator, and most recently moved into the newly created Programs, People & Culture position. Prior to Explore Ecology Jenny worked in science research and consulting, however her passion has always been science education and outreach. Jenny loves all things related to the ocean, especially free diving, and enjoying the beauty and wonder that is the underwater world. Her greatest life passion is traveling, which she hopes to do more of again soon.
Lu’s love of all things Earth began at James Madison University in Virginia, where they got their Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Lu has a Master’s degree in Spatial Ecology- the study of how creatures interact across landscapes- from East Carolina University, where they studied rock pools along a river and the critters that dwell in them.
