Thanksgiving is a “foodies” favorite holiday. It’s also one of the most wasteful holidays of the year. We as a society are trained to believe that excessive amounts of food are what make this day so special, when in fact we are being incredibly wasteful. Follow these tips for some new ways to watch your food waste this holiday:

Scrapping the Scraps…Properly
Scrapped food trimmings can often be used long after your big Thanksgiving feast. There are multiple ways to reuse culinary peelings that most people typically toss when preparing holiday dishes. One of the most common uses for left over bones, veggie scraps, and skins is in homemade soup stocks and sauces. For more ideas on how to incorporate food scraps, follow the links below!

Compost, Compost, Compost
If your scraps or trimmings can’t be used for further culinary creations, you can always compost. Composting is an easy and environmentally friendly alternative to simply tossing your food into a landfill. When foods enter landfills, they often produce harmful amounts of methane gas, and they don’t break down well. For those of you unable to compost yourself, it’s probable that there are people in your surrounding areas who would be glad to take your compostable scraps!

Environmentally Friendly Cleaners
Substituting chemical cleaners for a natural alternative can have a better impact on the environment and your friend’s and family’s long-term personal health. There are many homemade cleaners that work just as well as conventional cleaners, while utilizing food scraps in a positive way.

Natural Cleaners:

Don’t Leave the Leftovers
Regardless of preparation, it’s nearly impossible not to have a little something left over after your Thanksgiving Day celebration. One of the best parts of the holiday is enjoying the food again and again with leftovers. Be sure to utilize those left overs for some more meals, or even consider sharing with Hawaii’s hungry in your neighborhood. To be sure you never get tired of turkey, enjoy these leftover options below.

Leftovers: https://www.thistinybluehouse.com/2018/09/24/ways-to-use-up-thanksgiving-leftovers/

Stocks: https://ivaluefood.com/resources/cooking-eating/3-recipes-for-leftover-vegetables/