How to Have a Green, Sustainable Thanksgiving
According to a 2018/2019 grand jury report, 71% of all waste that is landfilled in San Mateo County is organic material such as food scraps, paper, and yard trimmings. And when it comes to the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Americans throw out 25% more!
This is tough news to swallow, but you can help do your part by having a green, sustainable holiday season. Here are some tips to help you along the way to minimize food waste and your environmental impact.
- Shop with a plan. Think about portion sizes and plan accordingly.
- Use up ingredients you may already have in your refrigerator before buying more. Remember that expiration dates on labels don’t always relate to food safety. They often are the food producer’s suggestions for peak quality. Check the USDA’s FoodKeeper for a guide to how long food available in the United States will keep the pantry, refrigerator or freezer.
- Prepare less by cutting recipes in half. If you can’t have Thanksgiving without sweet potato casserole, but also would like to make five other traditional side dishes, consider making a half recipe for one or most of the dishes, instead of full recipes. Tips for halving recipes can be found here and here.
- Freeze vegetable and meat scraps to make homemade stock or broth at a later date.
- Embrace ugly fruits and vegetables. That dented apple you use to make your famous apple pie will be equally delicious as its perfectly shaped counterpart.
- Enjoy the leftovers! Thanksgiving just might offer some of the best leftovers of the year. Enjoy them the next day or get creative with what’s remaining and develop some new, interesting recipes.
- If there are any leftover food scraps or food-soiled paper items from your holiday meal, make sure they all make their way into your green compost cart. Please make sure paper plates or boxes are uncoated (no plastic lining or metallic accents) first! When in doubt, check out these sorting or compost tips and tricks and read below for more Thanksgiving compost pointers.
Easy Compost Tips for Your Thanksgiving Meal
- Place a kitchen pail, bin, or paper bag next to your trash bin labeled “Food Scraps,” so your guests know exactly what to do with any leftovers on their plates. If you don’t already have a kitchen pail or need a replacement, order a FREE kitchen pail today from Recology San Mateo County.
- Once you’re done making a wish with the wishbone, make sure it (along with any other bones) get tossed into the green compost bin.
- Using paper napkins or plates for your Thanksgiving feast? When you’re done, those can all go into your green compost, too!
- Did you order a pie that came in a plain cardboard box? Uncoated or wax-coated cardboard is compostable—especially food-soiled or greasy boxes. If you have cardboard and paper packaging that is clean and dry, these can go in your blue recycling bin.
- Due to possible increased volume during your Thanksgiving meal, consider using a double-bagged paper bag in lieu of your regular kitchen pail to minimize trips out to your green compost bin.
- Brush up on your knowledge of which items go where by playing our interactive carts game. Have a question about a particular item? Ask our compost expert today!