Fall is one of our favorite times of the year here in Yurt Village!
It’s a time for us to look back on the year to give thanks and reflect on all the hard work we’ve accomplished. It’s also a great opportunity to give thanks back to Mother Earth by celebrating Thanksgiving in a sustainable way!
Not sure where to start? Here are seven small, easy steps you and your family can take:
1. Ditch the flimsy single-use products this year. We all look forward to Thanksgiving– so go all out and use your favorite dishware, utensils and cloth napkins. But if you do have to use disposables, go the eco route with palm leaf plates, bamboo or wooden cutlery or compostable cardboards.
2. Go local and buy organic. There’s no better way to prepare for the big meal than enjoying a morning with your family perusing your local farmer’s market for all your ingredients. Buying local helps cut down on CO2 emissions since your food isn’t traveling far from the field to your table. You’re also helping support your local economy and farmers!
3. Let nature be your centerpiece. Celebrate the fall harvest and decorate your dinner table and home with beautiful multicolored leaves, acorns and pinecones. You can also use clean-burning soy and vegetable wax candles to create the perfect ambiance for dinner.
4. Cut back on your energy use. Plan your meal prep ahead of time and bulk dishes together that need to be cooked at the same temperature– this will also give you more time to spend with your friends and family.
5. Carpool or use public transit to your festivities. Thanksgiving is one of the biggest travel days of the year and that means a lot of air pollution. If you have to drive far, plan with family and friends to carpool. Or, if you can, take the train or other forms of public transit.
6. Compost. With all that cooking and eating, there is bound to be a lot of food scraps. Take this opportunity to start a compost bin or add to the one you already have and keep that waste out of our landfills. Check out our latest compost blog to learn the do’s and don’ts of compost.
7. Skip Black Friday and #OptOutside! Spend the day after Thanksgiving out in nature with your loved ones instead of in the mall. A hike around Coldwater Canyon Park is the perfect way to burn off all those extra calories you enjoyed the night before.
Do you have an eco-friendly holiday tip we missed? Let us know about it in the comments below!