Here are a few tips from Earth 911 on how to GREEN your Thanksgiving celebration:
- Buy your food from local producers and farmers. You will get fresh, great tasting food and support your local economy in the process. You can get everything you need for your dinner without sacrificing quality or taste.
- Cut down on the amount of food. At least 28 billion pounds of edible food is wasted each year – more than 100 pounds per person. One of the best ways to reduce your waste this Thanksgiving is to plan ahead for the meal and practicing portion control.
Use Less Stuff created a handy list of approximate per person food and drink portions:
- Turkey- 1 pound
- Stuffing- ¼ pound
- Sweet potato casserole- ¼ pound
- Green beans- ¼ pound
- Cranberry relish- 3 tablespoons
- Pumpkin pie- 1/8 of a 9 inch pie
· After the meal, evaluate how many people were present and how much of each dish was consumed. By keeping track each year, you can make a more efficient, less wasteful Thanksgiving meal in the future.
· Don't be afraid! Use you china, stemware, nice flatware, and cloth napkins. Thanksgiving could be that special occassion you are saving it for! If disposable place settings are your only choice because of family/crowd size, be sure to purchase biodegradable flatware, napkins, and plates. You can find them at many stores or at BiodegradableStore.com.
· The average dishwasher uses between 7 and 15 gallons of water per cycle. After the meal, be sure to fill the dishwasher to capacity before running it to save water and energy. Try to run it after midnight to save more energy.
· Make sure your recycling bins are out and all guests know where they are.
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