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Fake plastic wishbones? Around Thanksgiving time last year, I read a post by blogger Rejin from Urban Botany blasting People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for promoting plastic Lucky Break Wishbones. She wrote:
Hasn't PETA ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? They claim these wishbones and their packages are recyclable, but let's face it: 99.99% of them are going to end up in a landfill, or in the ocean, where they will probably be swallowed by sea turtles [And I would add baby albatross chicks] who will choke and die.... Animals, PETA, animals! Do you hear me?
Apparently PETA did not because the organization promoted the wishbones again this year. Products like these are what blogger Linda Anderson from Citizen Green would call "stupid plastic crap."
But I'm not here to pick on PETA. I relate this story because it got me thinking about other types of Thanksgiving waste. According to Bob Lilienfeld of the Use Less Stuff Report, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans generate 25 percent more waste per week than during the rest of the year. This creates an additional 1.2 million tons per week, or an extra 6 million tons, for the holiday season. Whether we're vegans, vegetarians, or carnivores, we can all find ways to reduce the amount of waste we generate during Thanksgiving, helping the planet as well as our wallets. So, here are a few suggestions I've come up with, beginning with that plastic wishbone:
1) Don't Buy Stupid Plastic Crap. It's a waste of money. And although the company claims the wishbones are recyclable, I don't know of a single curbside recycling program that will actually recycle them. Sure, they'll pick them up if you put them in your recycle bin, but that's probably just another route to the landfill, or sadly the ocean which is where much of our plastic ends up. This single use item leads me to think about a few more we see during the holidays, in food packaging for example.
2) Cook At Home to Save Money & Packaging Waste. In the past few years, more and more families have gone the take-out route for Thanksgiving, opting for pre-made Thanksgiving dinners from grocery stores like Safeway, and Whole Foods in an effort to save time. But author and eco-blogger, Terra Wellington, says that instead of saving time, we ought to plan to take time:
The irony of today’s world is that you have to set aside time to relax. Preparing a Thanksgiving meal that is meaningful and home-based takes time. So, plan for it. Take off the day. Ask for family help. Work together to prepare the meal and create family ties and traditions in the process.
Cooking at home is much less expensive than purchasing pre-made meals, and it can also generate much less packaging waste, depending on how you shop. Which brings me to my next suggestion...
3) Shop the Farmers Market & Bulk Bins. Why skip the packaging waste from pre-made meals if you're just going to end up with packaging trash from all your cooking ingredients? Bring your own reusable bags and containers to the farmers market to buy fresh, seasonal, local foods for your Thanksgiving table.
EcoEastEnd's NO TRASH Thanksgiving Challenge is urging all residents of Long Island's East End to commit to zero waste this year. They go the extra step when encouraging market shoppers to bring their own containers:
You can even bring your own turkey pot to the farm and they will load the bird (all prepared) straight into your pot. No trash brought home.
Depending on where you live, there might be dishes you simply have to forego by shopping at the farmers market. But think of the fuel wasted to ship foods across the country, and you'll appreciated the food miles saved by eating locally.
Consider taking the 100 Mile Thanksgiving Challenge and get support and inspiration from the stories of other participants. Local Harvest and Slow Food USA ares good resources for finding foods for your Thanksgiving table.
4) Choose a local, organic turkey. To give PETA and other environmental organizations their due, eating meat takes a heavy toll on the earth. In his beautiful article
