Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family, and—let’s be honest—a lot of food. As we look ahead to Thanksgiving 2025, it’s the perfect time to commit to making your celebration more sustainable. By incorporating just a few eco-friendly practices, you can reduce your waste and carbon footprint without sacrificing any of the holiday joy.
Here are 10 tips to make your Thanksgiving celebration green:
In the Kitchen & Shopping:
- Shop Local for Your Feast: Commit to buying ingredients from your local farmer’s market, a Food Co-op, or a farmer in your area. This not only supports your community but drastically reduces the transportation distance and associated carbon emissions of your meal.
- Skip the Paper and Plastic Bags: As you head to the grocery store, always remember to take your reusable bags.
- Use a Reusable Roasting Pan: Skip the increasingly popular, but environmentally unfriendly, disposable roasting pans. A sturdy, reusable roasting pan is a better choice for the environment.
- Compost Leftovers: Instead of throwing away vegetable scraps, turkey bones, or uneaten leftovers, remember to compost them. This diverts food waste from landfills, where it would otherwise produce methane gas.
On the Table:
- Use Cloth Napkins: Americans use an enormous amount of paper napkins each year. Help reduce this paper waste by switching to cloth napkins for your celebration.
- Use the Fancy China and Silverware: Ditch the disposable plastic utensils and paper plates. Using your permanent China plates and silverware not only elevates your table setting but prevents single-use waste from ending up in a local landfill.
Hosting & Travel:
- Ask Guests to Bring Reusable To-Go Containers: You’re guaranteed to have leftovers! Help your guests take food home sustainably by asking them to bring their own reusable to-go containers instead of relying on disposable plastic or aluminum.
- Use LED Bulbs: Use LED bulbs to light your celebration. They use significantly less energy and last much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
- Remember to Recycle: Be mindful of all the extra packaging that comes with holiday groceries and new items. Set aside bins and remember to recycle all eligible packaging instead of throwing it away.
- Carpool: If you are traveling or hosting guests, plan to carpool. By reducing the total number of miles driven individually, you can collectively lower the carbon emissions associated with your holiday travel.
