How to have a more sustainable Thanksgiving
The amount of food consumed every year at Thanksgiving is actually associated with a large carbon footprint, according to experts.
Although Thanksgiving may be the holiday best known for indulging, there are ways to enjoy your favorite meal of the year while keeping the environment in mind.
"The Thanksgiving meal is more than just the food," Lauri Wright, director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida's College of Public Health, told ABC News. "There's so much meaning [and] emotions associated with it."
The average Thanksgiving dinner has a carbon footprint of about 103 pounds of carbon dioxide, according to the Climate Trade, an environmental solutions platform.
Here are some tips to have a more sustainable Thanksgiving.
Buy local
Buying locally sourced and natural turkeys may have huge benefits for decreasing emissions associated with Thanksgiving.
The average Thanksgiving turkey is transported on four different trucks and journeys about 760 miles before it reaches its final destination, according to Ndustrial, which released an AI-powered "Turkey Tracker" last week to calculate the amount of emissions associated with the bird.
Other ways Thanksgiving turkeys leave a carbon footprint are through processing and refrigeration, according to Ndustrial, a management platform for the food supply chain. Since the turkey needs to stay at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, refrigeration is the biggest energy gobbler of the entire journey, the business found.
About 46 million turkeys are consumed every Thanksgiving, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Ndustrial found that electrifying shipping routes instead of relying on diesel trucks and using more efficient refrigeration methods can help to drastically lower emissions associated with Thanksgiving turkeys.
Buying local produce for side dishes, especially from farmers markets, are a great way to keep the meal as sustainable as possible, Dune Ives, chief marketing officer of The Recycling Partnership, told ABC News.
"Not only are you supporting your local farms, you can purchase items in the packaging that nature provides," Ives said.
Don't waste Thanksgiving leftovers
Minimizing food waste is one of the most important things people can do -- especially at family gatherings where excess food could go to waste, said Wright, whose research has specialized in food insecurity.
The best way to avoid unnecessary waste starts with planning before the shopping begins, Ives said.
"Number one is you really want to plan out the shopping with the number of people," Wright said. "So you don't want to buy a 30-pound turkey if you only have five people coming."
But limiting the number of dishes can be difficult at Thanksgiving, since the traditional sides are often the star of the dinner table, Wright said. She recommended making the dishes smaller rather than not making them at all.
"You don't necessarily want to deprive your family of their favorite side," Wright said.
When it's time to deal with the inevitable leftovers, sharing is caring, Wright said -- especially considering that most of the leftovers will only have a shelf life of about three days in the fridge.
Getting creative with the leftovers that remain is also crucial, Ives said.
Wright recommended making a turkey pot pie with the leftover gravy, turkey and stuffing or using the cranberry sauce at breakfast on bagels and toast.
Up to 8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if food waste were eliminated, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
In addition, food waste that is not composted is responsible for a large portion of methane emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Organic materials, including food waste, are responsible for 58% of fugitive methane emissions from landfills, the EPA estimates.
In the U.S., food is the single most common material sent to landfills, comprising of more than 24% of municipal solid waste, according to the EPA.
Choose organic decorations and discard of them sustainably
Food items such a gourds, squash, dried corn, husks and apples can also be used for decorating this season, according to Keep America Beautiful, a community improvement nonprofit.
Non-decorative items that need to be discarded -- such as empty food and beverage containers, glass bottles, aluminum cans, yogurt tubs and pie containers -- can be recycled as long as they're placed in the right bin, Ives said.
Once the season has passed, don't forget to compost organic decorations rather than sending them to a landfill, which will help to cut down methane emissions that originate from decomposing food in landfills, according to Keep America Beautiful.
Vegetable or plant-based fall decorations like hay, cornstalks and leaves that have been painted or bear any other coating or alteration should be discarded in the trash.
Non-organic decorations can also be donated to thrift stores, Ives said.
Separately, Ives recommended pulling out the fancy dishware rather than using single-use plates and cutlery for the occasion.
"Fabric napkins not only look nice, they’re reusable, washable, and can be matched to your tablescape or theme," she said.
