As fall approaches us again, so do the wonders of Thanksgiving – and a multitude of unnecessary environmental waste. So, how can we take on a zero-waste approach this holiday season? By using the tips below, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy the festivities whilst treating our environment a little better today. Read on for more information.
Avoid Disposable Items
One of the most obvious approaches you can take is to swap out your disposable items with reusable ones instead. Ensure all your napkins, glasses, dinnerware, and roasting tins are all reusable, reducing the amount of waste that gets designated to the bin. If you’re hosting dinner for a large group of people, you might need to borrow a couple of knives, forks, and plates from a friend or relative – try anything to avoid using plastic table settings!
Consider Your Ingredients
Plan your meals around the ingredients you buy for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving often demands ingredients you wouldn’t usually buy, such as pumpkin puree, butternut squash, and cranberry source. But there’s no reason why you can’t use these ingredients in other meals too. Do a little research to find recipes online, ensuring your leftovers don’t go to waste. Also, remember to use what you already have available in your fridge and pantry. After all, there’s no point purchasing more food when you already have some perfectly good components hiding at the back of your cupboard!
Donate
Hop online to explore where you can donate your Thanksgiving leftovers if you don’t want to incorporate them into any of your own meals. Doing your bit to give happiness to less fortunate families is a fitting tradition this holiday season, and many food banks are more than happy to take items off your hands.
Freeze Your Leftovers
Of course, you should only plan to cook what you intend to consume. But if you do create some leftovers, resist the temptation to dump them in the bin. To prevent food from going bad this Thanksgiving, simply pop it in the freezer and defrost it at a later date! Whilst defrosted food never tastes as good as fresh food, defrosted dishes still preserve some flavor and can help feed your family for weeks to come!
Key Takeaways
- There are plenty of ways to head in the direction of a zero-waste journey today! Even by taking on just one or two of the above zero waste tips, you can have a significantly more positive impact on our ecosystem than you would have otherwise.
- Secondly, you have the chance to save valuable cash as well as our environment. By strategically cooking to cut down your oven time or to freeze your leftovers for a later date, you can save valuable resources and make the most of the money you’ve spent.
- Finally, every individual household has the capacity to take a considerable burden off the planet this holiday. Imagine how much difference would be made if every single home took on zero-waste approaches!
