Giving Thanks to the Planet
Posted on October 2, 2019
Ideas for a waste free Thanksgiving and Halloween!
October is here and it's a month of feasting! Whether that is Thanksgiving staples or candy. In either case, celebrations undoubtedly mean that there is more waste than usual and being that this month also includes Waste Reduction Week (Oct 21-27) in Canada, it's a great chance to practice some waste reducing tips! Show your thanks to our planet by cutting down on waste!
Thanksgiving. This national holiday is usually accompanied by feasting as a harvest festival and that means food waste. Here are a few ways to avoid the waste.
- Share food. Whether this means inviting people over, giving leftovers to your neighbours, or freezing as much as you can to give to others later, sharing food keeps the food waste down and is in the spirit of the season!
- Give yourself time. We live busy lives and frequently the holidays creep up on us, but prepare ahead of time and you can avoid a lot of waste. This lets you buy in bulk to avoid packaging, seek out ingredients from farmers' markets, and decorate your home in a sustainable way.
Halloween. This fun-filled festival has become more and more popular over the years, but it's still linked with a lot of waste, from disposable decorations to candy wrappers. But it doesn't have to stay that way.
- Take the time to upcycle. Halloween can actually be a really great chance to turn old items into something new and fun, and to flex your creative muscles! A quick internet search will turn up hundreds of crafts you can make from items around the home, and costumes, too! This will also save you some money!
- Pick the better candy. As much as it would be great if we had candy in compostable wrappers or could make our own treats, that isn't usually feasible these days. That being said, you can pick treats that are less of a problem. Candies in those little cardboard boxes or in foil wrappers can be recycled. You might not have any control on whether people actually recycle them, but giving them the option can help.
Another great way to support the planet is to support environment educators, like Green Calgary! You can make a donation here to support our programs!
Share your own tips for waste free holidays with us on our social media accounts Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
