10 ways to 'Thank Our Planet' on Thanksgiving

This inspiring post was written by Elise Arthurs, a very good friend of mine and amazing, gutsy gal who is helping me out with My Inspiration Lounge. Fun things to know about her: she said her future husband would HAVE to compost and well, she found him! Elise and her fiance recently hiked 89-miles in the Cascades for 9-days. My jaw dropped when she told me this. Just one more thing to check off her bucket list! Thanks Elise for empowering us with simple solutions to go green this Thanksgiving!

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This time of year, we focus on giving thanks for the food on our table, for our family and friends, and our health -- but we rarely include a thanks to our planet. So, this year I’ve decided to start a tradition of adding another thank you to my list, a thank you to our Earth.

That got me thinking about how to have a more ‘earth friendly’ Thanksgiving, that way I can say Thank You through my actions. The result ended up being a list of 10 tips for a more environmentally friendly Thanksgiving. In typical My Inspiration Lounge fashion I read 100’s of articles and filtered for the best and easiest tips as well as adding a few of my own.

It would be ideal if we could incorporate all these tips but I know that's not always easy -- so I’m going to set my goals on doing at least 5 of them. I would love for you to join me!

1. Buy local. 2. Buy Organic
I don't think we can be reminded enough of how important this is, it means less fuel used, fresher food and more local economic stimulation. The World Watch Institute estimates that a surprising 17% of the world's fossil fuel is consumed from fertilizing and transporting food.

Strive to make as much of your meal local and organic - if you can only put some items on your table - make it fun and ask your family to participate. What would they like to eat that's local? Use these handy resources found in the Go Green section - the Eat Well Guide and LocalHarvest, for finding local and organic turkeys and ingredients.

3. Make one trip to the grocery store
This one should be easy - it just requires some good planning and making a list. Try to avoid all those last minute trips in your car to pick up forgotten items -sounds small but it will actually make a difference. I've definitely had those Thanksgivings where I've gone to the store 3 times in the same day!

4. Use cloth napkins
If you don't have them already; a fun way to build your napkin collection is to collect vintage napkins or make them yourself. If you are the slightest bit crafty - making your own napkins can be simple and easy. This is a great project to do with the family too. Check out Design*Sponge on DIY cloth napkins and explore Find Your Inner Artist under Connect and Learn for more inspiring ideas!

5. Drink organic wine
Organic wines just keep getting better with more affordable options available. One site that delivers straight to your door is The Organic Wine Company. Check out other organic wines options found under Become An Eco-Shopper.

"Now I see the secret of the making of the best persons.
It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth."
Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), Song of the Open Road

6. Don’t use a disposable turkey pan
This year buy a Turkey pan – think of how much less will be added to landfills each year if we all do this. This doesn’t have to be expensive either; you could easily find this at your local thrift shop.

7. Plant a Tree
Show your thanks by planting a tree or helping heal the ocean. It's especially important to contribute in slow economic times so these organizations can keep making progress. Your contribution doesn't have to be large - you and your family can contribute $10 and plant 10 trees with the Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion campaign. Or find a cause where you and your family have a special connection. Here are a few to start with...Plant A Billion Trees, Heal The Ocean, and Cousteau Society. Find more inspiring ways to Be An Activist under Go Green.

8. Don't buy plastic or throw-away decorations
Decorations do create a festive and special mood at this time of the year. However, this year in particular, is a good year to save money and minimize buying more 'stuff'. Look to decorate with leaves that have fallen in your yard, pictures drawn by your children, paper turkey napkin rings.

9. If you go disposable, go bamboo
If for some reason you need to do paper plates for your meal and all the servings of pie that follow then use bamboo instead of paper. Items made out of bamboo are not only better for us but they have more style too! Most grocery stores now carry bamboo plates. If you can't find them in your local area, check out re:modern for fun bamboo options.

10. Clean Green
Use non-toxic cleaning supplies for all the cleaning up, not only is it better for the environment but it’s better for you and all your helpers. Here’s a helpful and thorough run-down by Renee Loux's Euphoric Organics on green cleaning solutions to the rescue.

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Comments

[Erin]

Thanks for recommending the Eat Well Guide to find local organic food. We have thousands of stores and co-ops (also farms, organizations, etc) listed in the Guide to help you find good food for holidays and everyday! If you haven't heard, Eat Well has partnered with Consumers Union for a Thanksgiving Local and Organic Food Challenge. We are asking people to incorporate one local, sustainable or organic ingredient in a dish for the holiday and then submit their recipe. Check it out: https://secure.consumersunion.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=NIMF_Recipe