For many, Thanksgiving is a time to visit family, go shopping, and eat a lot of good food. However, food waste and disposable dishware can tun Thanksgiving into a very unsustainable holiday. Thankfully, there are many simple strategies to make your Thanksgiving more eco-friendly!
Food Waste
To avoid having too much food after your Thanksgiving meal, try coordinating with guests in advance. Invite each guest to bring specific dishes so there are fewer unexpected duplicates. Leftovers are often inevitable and frequently relished. Develop a plan in advance to package and share remaining food with guests as they leave, preferably in reusable containers. Unopened cans and nonperishable items can be donated. There are several food pantries in New Orleans that are accepting donations, as well as the Food for Thought Pantry on Tulane's downtown campus. Finally, composting is a good outlet for many of the food scraps generated in the preparation of the meal. Take a quick review of Compost NOW's Community Compost Map and instructions work composting scraps into your holiday plans.
Reusable Dishware
Disposable dishware like paper plates, Styrofoam cups, and plastic cutlery can be replaced by reusable dishware. On campus or off campus, choosing to reuse saves energy and resources while preventing these materials from filling our landfills or ending up in our local ecosystems.
