Sustainability - Green Notes

Across the nation, Thanksgiving is a time of overconsumption. We eat too much food, we buy too many things, and we travel too many miles. Now, do not get me wrong, I love everything about Thanksgiving just as much as the next person; however, I think we can all agree that sometimes we go a little overboard. Here are ten tips to help you have a more sustainable Thanksgiving without having to make any sacrifices on traditions!

My first tip for you may come as a shock—eat less meat on Thanksgiving. Perhaps you already knew this, but animal agriculture accounts for a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions. Eating less—or no—meat on Thanksgiving can help lower your overall carbon footprint, and it would save a turkey’s life at the same time! I did promise that these tips would not have you making any huge sacrifices to your traditions. With that being said, if you do want to have a turkey on thanksgiving, try to purchase one from a local farmer. This way you can ensure that you are supporting sustainable farming practices! 

This leads me to my next tip—buy as much as you can from local sources. In a previous post, I honed in on local shopping more; briefly put, buying local not only supports local businesses, but it also encourages community togetherness as well as reduces the amount of miles your food must travel to get to you. Buying local means less pollution on your part this holiday season! 

Tip number three is to have fewer single use items on your table this year. Say goodbye to the flimsy, plastic plates and cutlery and hello to sturdy, reusable ones. I know, doing all those dishes sounds like a nightmare; however, seeing all those plastic plates and forks in the landfill is also quite the nightmare. Invest in some good quality dining ware once, and you will most likely never have to buy them again. Spend a little more money this year, and save a lot more money in the future. Trust me, your guests will thank you—no one likes a soggy plate.

Next up, make sure you spend some time outside this Thanksgiving. It is important that we show nature how thankful we are for all it gives us. Were it not for nature, we would have no food to celebrate this holiday. Get outside and admire nature, take a walk, or perhaps even host a family clean-up event. This could be a fun way to get the family together while doing your part to keep nature beautiful and clean!

The next tip I have for you is to reduce your food waste. It is very easy—and sometimes better—to buy too much rather than buying too little when it comes to feeding your guests for Thanksgiving. However, when doing that, so much food is wasted. Think about when you go to the store at the last minute to buy some pecans for your sweet potato casserole, and the grocery store is all out. Well perhaps this is because the last person came in and bought a few extra bags just in case. They do not end up using them, and your casserole goes pecan-less. Nobody wants a pecan-less casserole. Therefore, we should all be conscious at the store and only buy what we need! Also, be mindful when filling your plate. Do not let your eyes eat before your stomach! Eat slowly and take time to really enjoy your meal to help avoid an excess amount of food wasted!

Of course, there will be some food scraps that are acquired over the holidays. This, I would not classify as food waste but as potential compostable contents! Any leftover crumbs or scraps can—and should—be added to your compost. Try to stay clear of adding meat, bones, and dairy to the mix; however, I am sure that your puppy (or local coyotes) would love to eat up the leftover turkey for you! Add all the fruit and veggie based items as well as egg shells to have a nutrient rich compost! Another way to put all of those leftovers to use is to donate what you cannot eat to your local food bank. 

Thanksgiving is one of the most travelled days of the year, and cutting down on travel miles is very beneficial to the planet. Now, as a homesick college student myself, I could never tell someone that they needed to stay on campus for this holiday. Perhaps instead, you could carpool home with someone. Maybe you have a sibling or a friend that is going in the same direction who you could catch a ride with. Also, if you live close enough to your Thanksgiving destination, you could walk or ride your bike there! 

Another big part of the Thanksgiving holiday is Black Friday. I know, sometimes the deals of Black Friday are unbeatable, but please be conscious of how much you buy on Black Friday. Try to avoid unnecessary purchases; think before you buy—do you really need a new washer and dryer, 3 new TV’s, or the latest piece of technology? This is something that has taken me a long time to understand, but just because something is on sale does not mean that you need it. Other tips for a sustainable Black Friday include shopping at local businesses, bringing your own shopping bags, and consciously choosing to purchase from sustainable brands. You do not have to say goodbye to the all night tradition of shopping, but instead, be a little smarter with how you shop!

The final tip I have for you all is by far my favorite—which is why it was saved for last. Did you know that for the price of $35, you can adopt a turkey from Farm Sanctuary? This money is put towards rescuing turkeys who were born and raised to die. Now, contrary to the name, you unfortunately do not get to take the turkey home; instead, you are more so sponsoring that turkey’s life and donating to the rescue of other beautiful animals who deserve a second chance! Also, Farm Sanctuary hosts a Thanksgiving dinner every year for their turkeys, and your donation helps make that possible! 

I hope that at least one of these tips will follow you to your Thanksgiving celebration. I do think that many of these tips require little to no effort or sacrifice. However, sometimes you do have to make a few small sacrifices in order to make change happen. I gave up eating meat around five years ago, and every Thanksgiving I make the brave sacrifice to be the root of all the vegan related jokes—totally worth it! Let us know how you will be celebrating your Thanksgiving this year and if you will be incorporating any of these tips at ttugreen@tntech.edu! 

Lydia Young

Tennessee Tech University

English Literature