A Sustainable Feast
Top 10 ways to have a sustainable Thanksgiving
by Lindsey Lyons
November 16, 2011
From ditching disposables to eating organic, sustainability expert Lindsey Lyons, assistant director of Dickinson's Center for Sustainability Education, shares tips for a sustainable Thanksgiving.Incorporating sustainable practices into your Thanksgiving celebration requires no more than a trip to the farmers market.
Ditch the paper and plastic. Disposable plates and utensils reduce cleanup time, but add unnecessary waste to landfills. Recruit family and friends to help with the dishes.
Drink up. Support your community by purchasing holiday drinks from nearby vendors. There are many options from local apple ciders, wine, microbrew beers and organic creameries.
Know your turkey. Order a heritage turkey or look for organic and/or sustainable birds at butchers, specialty shops and at farmers markets around the country.
Meet a farmer. Take a trip to your local farmers market and stock up on goodies for your holiday meal. Shopping for favorite foods is a fun family outing.
Cook from scratch. Processed foods can contain unnecessary preservatives and genetically modified ingredients. Cooking and baking is fun, especially with children.
Eat organic. We’ve all heard it before, but it’s pretty simple. Eating organic reduces carbon-dioxide emissions and is safer for humans. And, best of all, it tastes better.
Fight hunger. Holidays are a great time to help the less fortunate. Donate to a food drive, volunteer at a shelter, or invite someone in need to celebrate with you and your family.
Start a compost pile. Save all those food scraps and establish a compost area at your home. Even small piles can create fertile soil for your garden next spring. Find compost designs online. Diverting food wastes can significantly reduce landfill waste.
Recycle. Be sure to recycle food packaging, bottles and cans. Research recycling programs in your area and obey local sorting and preparation policies.
Brighten Black Friday. Avoid the crowds, stress and traffic and instead spend Black Friday with family making handmade holiday gifts. Look online for creative gift ideas that reuse common household items.
A national leader in sustainability initiatives and education, Dickinson is listed on The Princeton Review’s 2012 Green Honor Roll, Sierra Magazine’s 2010 list of America’s 20 Greenest Colleges and received the highest overall grade on the Sustainable Endowments Institute’s 2010 Green Report Card. Dickinson also has earned a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Learn more about sustainability at Dickinson.