Talking About Green

Thanksgiving is the time of year to be thankful for your loved ones, the clothing on your back, and the roof over your head. This year, consider including the planet in the list of things you are thankful for. Start a new family tradition by minimizing your carbon footprint not only on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year. Get a head start by following some of these tips that will help your Thanksgiving be eco-friendly and memorable.

What most people look forward to most on Thanksgiving Day is the feast. When you consider the amount of people you may be feeding, it is important to remember the basics of going green: recycle, reduce, reuse. These three R’s should be your guidelines when entertaining family and friends on this bounteous holiday. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying only what you need and by selecting products carefully. Choose items that come in packaging that can be recycled, or select products that are packaged with recycled materials. Bring reusable bags with you to the grocery store and use cloth napkins at dinner because they can be washed and used again. Set aside a specific container in your kitchen to hold recyclables like paper, plastic and glass.

One of the best choices you can make this Thanksgiving is to purchase locally grown good. This is not only a delicious addition to the meal, but also supports your health and your surrounding environment. Locally grown food requires less packaging and also less fuel to reach stores. Supporting your local community will help you give back to local farmers and merchants and will show what your grateful for this Thanksgiving.

This year, try celebrating at home to reduce auto emissions and improve the quality of air. Thanksgiving can be spent traveling far and wide, an expensive and detrimental way to spend the holiday. Instead, staying at home will be less stressful and help save the environment. Consider inviting your neighbors and family over to dinner. This will provide a centralized location for people to congregate to instead of traveling all over. It will not only be a way of giving back to those you love, but will also reduce auto emissions by keeping individuals off the road.

Start a new family tradition this year by planting a tree on Thanksgiving Day. This will not only be a fun activity for the family, but it will also be a way of diminishing global warming. Watching the tree grow throughout the year will be a reminder to your family of what you are grateful for. On average, trees absorb around twenty-six pounds of carbon dioxide in one year. If you are planting one tree a year, your family could really make an impact on the air quality in your community.

Decorating your household with squash and organic fruit can also be a way of livening up your household for this Thanksgiving. You could make wreaths of ivy, or branches from your yard and place dried corn on them for decoration. Table ornaments can be made out of paper and can easily be recycled when the holiday is over.

This year, make it a point to say thank you to those that matter most. Saying thank you is not only free, but it is a way of acknowledging you care and appreciate those around you. Don’t forget to say thank you to planet earth by following these simple steps and doing your best to reduce your carbon footprint. It will make your thanksgiving more enjoyable and memorable.

Sarah Danielson writes for Noel Qualter, a London based table magician who performs at corporate events, weddings, product launches, balls, banquets and more.