Whether you're journeying across the nation or relaxing at home this Thanksgiving, we wish you a joyful holiday. We hope you appreciate our easy tips for having a greener celebration.
Here are a few suggestions to create a greener Thanksgiving celebration.
1. REDUCE FOOD WASTE
Food waste contributes 8% of global carbon emissions. Reducing waste is one of the top things you can do to help the environment.
Think about adding more plant-based side dishes to your Thanksgiving meal. Consider the turkey as more of a "side" as opposed to the main course. Reducing your meat intake - or going meatless one day a week -- is the equivalent of taking a car off the road for 350 miles each year.
Make a plan for your leftovers.Think about how you might use your leftovers AFTER thanksgiving. Those extra mashed potatoes can be great in a breakfast burrito. That leftover pumpkin could great in a pumpkin spice latte. Check out this recipe from the kitchn. Your turkey carcass can make an amazing soup for the family.
Store your leftovers in glass containers, not plastic. Plastic can leach chemicals into your food - especially in the microwave.
If you have non-perishable goods left over, you can donate to your local foodbank. Feeding America has a great tool to find your local food bank.
Compost together! Compost what you can in your backyard or find a local community compost for your veggie, fruit & coffee scraps.
USE REAL STUFF
Skip the disposable cups and plates. Use real plates and cloth napkins. If you have fancy china taking up space in your cabinets, show them off. If not, use your everyday dishes.
Create a simple, homemade centerpiece for fun. Check out this pinterest page for some ideas for natural centerpieces using fall leaves, flowers, twigs & branches.
If any of your dishes have stories with them -a serving dish you inherited or a quirky gift you received for a birthday or a wedding -- use them as conversation starters.
Create a kitchen duty plan. Make it an intergenerational clean up team so everyone does their part and so you don't have any stress about skipping the disposables. Down time washing dishes and cleaning up often prompts sharing of memories and stories.
3. OPT OUTSIDE
Lean into the concept of "experiences, not things." It's is a great start to your holiday season to avoid overconsumption.
Instead of shopping after Thanksgiving for "Black Friday" deals, plan some time outdoors. Go for a hike, a walk in your local park, or a nearby nature center. Use the hashtag #optoutside and #onegreenthing.
Share stories of resilience and overcoming challenges. Let the young people you love know about you've witnessed social change and the work you've done to make life better for others.
Plan a day to volunteer at a local food bank, shelter, or nature center.
Get outside with a scavenger hunt, an impromptu dance party, or football game.
4. REFLECT
Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude, reflection, and sharing.
Share and write down what you're grateful for this year.
Honor someone - a mentor, friend, or family member - whose made the life you're living now possible by taking the OGT "Be an Awesome Ancestor" pledge.
Ask the young people you love about the climate crisis. We need to give young people hope that they're not alone. We're with them and will help work with them to create a greener, healthier, more just future. Download the OGT Intergenerational Discussion Guide for pointers on how to have this conversation.
Consider Native American Heritage Month. Research the tribal connections to the lands that are meaningful to you.
Watch a film from the National Museum of the American Indian Native Cinema Showcase 2024 Watch together!
Watch old family movies or check out photo albums and share stories of resilience within your family and community.
5. GIVE BACK
Think about how you will share your gratitude this holiday season with your community.
Make a donation on Giving Tuesday, December 3rd, the largest day of online global giving, to your favorite charity.
Share a meaningful moment when someone helped you with a challenge. Carry that spirit forward with a random act of kindness like buying a cup of a coffee for a stranger, giving someone an unexpected compliment, or shoveling a neighbor's walk.
Develop your holiday volunteering plan to support your community.
Quick Ideas for a Greener Thanksgiving Based on Service Superpower:
Adventurers: Skip shopping on "Black Friday," and instead go for a hike, walk, or visit a nearby nature center. Share a photo of your nature experience using the hashtags #optoutside and #onegreenthing.
Beacons: Plan a random act of kindness, such as shoveling a neighbor’s walkway, treating a stranger to a cup of coffee, or offering someone an unexpected compliment, to keep gratitude at the forefront this holiday season.
Influencers: Take the OGT "Be an Awesome Ancestor" Pledge and engage your friends in discussions about adopting a "long-term" mindset. It's time to view ourselves as future ancestors.
Philanthropists: Get ready for Giving Tuesday (November 28th), the largest day of online global philanthropy, by planning a donation to your preferred environmental charity.
Sages: Download the OneGreenThing guide for intergenerational discussions. Talk to the young people in your life about climate action and reassure them they are supported.
Sparks: View one of the acclaimed films from the National Museum of the American Indian Native Cinema Showcase 2024.
Wonks: Evaluate the amount of plastic used in your celebration and consider what you can eliminate, reduce, or reuse in the coming year.
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