Have a sustainable Thanksgiving by opting for resusable plates and cutlery!

This holiday season, there is a lot you can do to ensure your Thanksgiving is as sustainable as possible. No matter how you are celebrating this year, it is important to be mindful of how much waste you produce.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away 25% more trash and 33% more food during the holidays. This extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage per year.

We’ve compiled some tips on how to reduce your footprint and have an environmentally friendly Thanksgiving this year:

• Buy food with thought. Make note of how many people you are serving and reduce waste by purchasing just enough to feed them all.
• Opt for reusable plates and cutlery.
• Purchase local and organic foods when possible.
• Add some color to your plate! Not only are fruits and vegetables good for you, but they are also less resource-intensive to produce.
• Eat less meat. The meat industry is the number one source of methane gas, which is a major contributor of climate change. Even if you aren’t a vegetarian, try opting for more side dishes and less meat.
• Make use of what you can’t eat Thanksgiving Day. AllRecipes has dozens of leftovers recipes that sound just as yummy as the traditional dishes!
• Compost your food scraps.

When giving thanks this year, make sure to give the Earth a “thank you” by being mindful of sustainability.