Green Your Thanksgiving

I know Halloween hasn’t even hit yet, but Thanksgiving is a big event and can take some planning. Luckily, there are some easy ways to green your Thanksgiving.

Look for “USDA organic,” not “Free-range” turkeys. While Free Range may sound good the term means little according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. You’ll have much better luck finding a chemical free bird if you go local – i.e. choose a turkey raised at a local farm. To learn more about labeling read, Unscrambling Organic Eggs, which yes, I know is about eggs, but if you replace the word “egg” with “turkey” you’ve got turkey labeling in a nutshell. Another green option – skip the turkey and go meatless.

Use real dishes, cloth tablecloths, and cloth napkins. Paper meal goods are less common at Thanksgiving than other holidays, but it’s still an issue. Using paper is lame when real dishes and cloth look better and last and last.

Go organic for the whole meal. When else do you have a perfect excuse to whip up a mess of organic goodness and get help paying for it? Discuss sharing costs of the meal with everyone coming so that you can afford the best of the best for Thanksgiving. A second option is to at least buy the worst pesticide offenders in organic form.

Light up the affair with soy. Soy candles are better than wax candles for your family and the environment and burn longer too.

Decorate with crafty green style. Get your kids on decor management for truly unique Thanksgiving decor. You can also make some pretty nature crafts that I swear look great for even a formal meal.

For more green Thanksgiving tips check out Celebrate Green.

[image via stock.xchng]