For Americans, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and like many holidays, it can do a lot of damage to our environment. From travel to disposable dishes to the enormous numbers of turkeys that are killed for the holiday, there are lots of places we can make changes in our lives to have a better Thanksgiving.

There’s no reason we can’t have a great Thanksgiving holiday and still do our part to reduce its impact on the environment. A green Thanksgiving is actually just one more thing to be thankful for. Here are some tips on how to improve your Thanksgiving celebration.

The Turkey
For many people, this holiday isn’t complete without a turkey and all the trimmings. However, the raising of livestock is an extremely resource-intensive process, using up immense amounts of feed, plus the pesticides and fertilizers required to grow the feed. Poultry droppings are often disposed of incorrectly, and lots of petroleum is used to transport the turkeys, both while they’re alive and after they’ve been slaughtered.

On top of that, many conventional farming methods are widely considered inhumane - rules that require humane slaughter of animals like cattle don’t apply to poultry, and these animals are raised in very cramped conditions. Conventionally raised meat also contains the question of whether antibiotics and other chemicals given to these birds can make their way into our bodies and be harmful.

If any of these things are concerns of yours, there are several solutions. The one that causes the least suffering and environmental damage overall is having a vegan or vegetarian Thanksgiving. Try one of the turkey or other meat products on the market made from soy, wheat, corn, or other grains and legumes, or skip the “turkey” altogether and just make your favorite fall dishes. It can be a great and environmentally friendly, if unconventional, way to give thanks for all you have - especially the earth! However, this won’t necessarily be desirable in all households, and even if you’re vegetarian, there’s your family to consider. Many families don’t consider it truly Thanksgiving unless they have turkey.

A locally produced, humanely raised organic turkey is a good choice for those who aren’t vegetarian and still want to reduce the impact of their celebration on the environment. In many cases, you can visit the farm to see how the animals are raised, and talk to the farmer about them. They’ll also taste much better than conventionally raised turkeys, because they live happier lives.

Heritage breeds - turkeys that have not been bred for the maximum amount of white meat like “industrial” turkeys - are also known for their better taste, and are usually raised on a small scale. There are a few different terms to understand when choosing your turkey, since you may see some of them independently of the others.

These turkeys are from older breeds. These birds have smaller breasts and less white meat, but may taste better over all. They are not necessarily free range or organic, but are usually produced by smaller farms that also use these methods.

Certified organic turkeys - Turkeys that are certified organic eat only grains and other foods produced by farmers who also have the organic certification. They receive no hormones or antibiotics. However, certified organic turkeys can still be raised in cramped indoor conditions, though their living conditions are a little better than their conventional cousins, as part of the organic standard.

Free range turkeys - Free range turkeys have been given access to the outdoors. However, this loosely regulated term means many different things, and these turkeys may only spend a little time outside, and may not be given grazing access.

Pastured turkeys - Turkeys that have been pastured had outdoor access and were able to forage for their food. They probably receive supplementary feeding, but also ate small greens and insects they found outside. Pasturing usually provides a richer flavor, but is more expensive.

Kosher turkeys - Kosher standards dictate a certain standard of living conditions for a turkey, including grain geed, freedom to roam and no antibiotics. Kosher meat is not the same as organic meat, and is salted before market, so don’t brine it.

Other meats should be treated the same way as the turkey. If ham, beef, chicken, or any other animal food is traditional for your family’s Thanksgiving meal, the most ecologically friendly option is usually to choose locally produced, humanely raised meats that are free from antibiotics and other chemicals. Just about every kind of meat is available if you’re willing to look, but be aware that shopping for better meat will mean you have to plan early.

Many farms offer a pre-order plan - you can even sign up to get your turkey as much as a year in advance! Your local farmer’s market, co-op, or natural food store may be able to provide you with an organic turkey or other meat, or you may have to talk to local farmers. Much of the time, word about these great foods is passed via word of mouth, but many farms and stores now also have websites. Check www.localharvest.org to find local foods in your area.

The Rest of the Meal
Of course, it’s not only about the turkey or ham. Mashed or scalloped potatoes, desserts, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and many other foods are also traditional at Thanksgiving. Choosing to buy these from local, organic farmers can help reduce the environmental impact of your feast. Again, expect expenses to be higher when buying organic, but also expect better taste. Heirloom varieties can be an unusual addition to your Thanksgiving, and also surprisingly flavorful - they may be older, but they have a lot to offer.

You may have to make choices about whether you want to buy a food locally or one that’s certified organic. Local food travels a shorter distance, so it’s usually fresher and tastier than food that’s been shipped, and uses less petroleum for delivery. However, it may not have the organic certification, and may carry pesticides and have been grown using lots of fertilizers. The best option is to educate yourself about the process of growing the food you use as well as you can, then make a decision from there.

If you do prefer local food, shop for it wisely. A trip alone in a car to the farmer’s market down crowded highways could wipe out the benefit you get from buying food with fewer miles on it in the first place! Try doing your shopping all at once, and with other people if you can. That reduces the amount of fuel burned. If you live close enough to a city farmer’s market to walk or cycle there, that’s a great option! Taking the bus is another fuel-saving choice that can help you reduce emissions, whether you’re shopping for Thanksgiving food or just going about your day.

Avoid Packaging
It’s easy to choose a boxed, frozen pumpkin pie instead of making one from scratch, but the packaging involved can end up in the landfill. Cooking from mixes and cans can also produce a lot of waste. When you can, buy items with the least processing and packaging, and cook from scratch if possible. That’s definitely more time consuming than a pre-made or processed product, but it’s better for the environment.

Cook Less
You may be thinking that buying more expensive organic foods and cooking from scratch will make it hard to have your usual Thanksgiving spread. That may be true, but one place to look for waste is that traditional meal. We all make a little too much for the number of people attending, but that also often quickly turns into a lot too much. If you were eating leftovers every meal for a week last year, why not just make less food?

After all, Americans throw away an estimated ninety-six billion points of food across the country each year. Thanksgiving makes up a big part of that - try only to make as much food as will be eaten this year, either at the Thanksgiving dinner proper or within a day or two afterward.

You’ll end up throwing less out, and you’ll have a better meal overall. If family members will be bringing dishes to go with the meal, be sure to coordinate well, so that there aren’t too many duplicates. Send leftovers home with members of the family to spread them out, and reduce the amount of food that is wasted, too.

One important thing to remember if family members are bringing food is not to cook too much yourself. The host of the Thanksgiving feast often feels the need to provide an entire dinner themselves, in addition to what others will bring. Just make one or two things - you’ll save time, money, and feel a lot less stressed. Plus, there’ll be less cleanup to do before your family arrives.

Avoid Disposables
if you’re having a large celebration, it can be tempting to switch to disposable plates and dinnerware, just for one day. However, each guest may produce more than one place service worth of garbage. That’s a lot of waste in one day, and many homes will be doing it - just look at the overflowing trash bins on the curb the day after! Don’t take part in contributing to the huge amount of waste produced every Thanksgiving - it’s time to say no to throwing dishes away.

Use reusable dishes for the celebration if possible, and wash up cooking dishes in advance to reduce the amount of work you need to do. In fact, Thanksgiving is a perfect chance to get out the good heirloom china that grandma used to use, and explain its past to your children. That can add a little bit of family history to your Thanksgiving, and help you save resources and reduce waste.

Feel free to delegate dish washing tasks to other family members and wash up in shifts, too. Remember - if you cooked, others should help you with the clean up! If the thought of doing all those dishes is too scary, look into biodegradable disposable dishes that will use fewer resources and eventually deteriorate, instead of bleached papers and plastics that will never decompose.

Another thing that gets thrown out is the invitation to your Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of sending the traditional card and envelope, why not an invitation by email or telephone? For those people you must send physical invitations to, try a postcard instead of a separate card and envelope, and request replies by telephone or email to cut down on waste.

Saving Electricity
Most of us will have the lights on a lot more during the Thanksgiving day, so this is a great time to switch to CFL bulbs, if you haven’t already. Besides saving resources, CFLs also save you money. While they’re more expensive up front, they last longer, and they use a lot less power. Don’t be overly concerned about the mercury contained in the bulbs. It’s only a risk if the bulbs break - it can’t leach out while they’re in use.

Local hardware stores will dispose of these bulbs correctly for you when they wear out, and handling them with a minimum of care removes any risk you might be exposed to. Of course, you could also turn the lights off and enjoy time with your family outside or on the porch, instead of in front of the television. If the weather outside is pleasant this year, open the windows if the house is warm, and turn down the thermostat. Remember you’ll need less heat if there are many people visiting, since body heat can warm up a room quickly.

Decorating
If you have decorations from last year, there’s no need to buy new ones. Instead, just reuse the old ones. The same set of decorations can be put together in many different ways, after all. If you do need to buy decorations, choose ones that will last, and save money by finding colorful leaves from your back yard, or by displaying popcorn on the cob and pumpkins that you can later eat.

Cut Down on Travel
Many families have enormous gatherings, with members traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to see their loved ones. This results in a lot of pollution and packed airports and highways. If you’re concerned about the impact of your Thanksgiving on the planet, it’s time to say no to travel every holiday. Instead, have a smaller Thanksgiving at home, with family members who live nearby or just your immediate family in attendance.

Then, call the rest of the family after dinner, or talk to them online if you have a webcam and microphone. That’ll allow you to wish them well without spending the money or the fuel to travel. If you must travel, try to do it at off-peak times, and consider purchasing carbon offsets to make up for it. They’re not the best choice by far, but they’re better than doing nothing.

Recycle and Compost
Be sure to carefully recycle all items that you can. Don’t be tempted to throw out everything because it’s so much work. Instead, rinse containers carefully and put them in your recycling bin. Label bins clearly for members of your family to use, and make sure there are extras available for overflow. That way, no one will be tempted to just throw cans and other recyclables in the trash, where you’d have to fish them out later.

Be sure you communicate about recycling and how to do it if you have family members coming who don’t normally recycle in their homes. Each area has different policies, and even people who are accustomed to recycling might not understand the ones in your area. Be patient and don’t let yourself get frustrated! If you don’t have curbside recycling, take your recyclables to the local recycling center - you would even get a few dollars for soda cans and other metal containers. Do this a little at a time so it doesn’t get exhausting.

Remember to compost all leftovers and scraps, too. The turkey can’t be put on the compost heap, for fear of attracting opossums, rats, and other pests. However, scrap meat can be fed to dogs and cats (no bones!) and the fat can be donated to local biofuel companies (check to see if there’s one in your area that can use the turkey fat that collects in the bottom of the pan).

Anything plant-based can be composted, from scraps and parings to leftovers no one will eat and will produce good quality soil for you in the spring! If you live in an apartment, condo, or home without a yard, you can still compost. Think about a small indoor composter, or vermi-composting using a special type of earthworm. These composting methods can be odor-free and very effective, breaking down waste and producing great fertilizer for your indoor plants.

Plant A Tree
Did you know that fall and winter are the best time to plant trees? The cold weather means that these plants don’t suffer as much shock from transplanting, and are much more likely to grow healthily in the spring. If you’d like to improve your property, planting a tree is one way to make things look better and add a little more oxygen to the world. Plant life also helps keep our cities cool, so think about adding a tree-planting to this year’s Thanksgiving celebration. Now is the time to add to local beauty, and make the world just a little better.

Be Thankful!
Don’t forget that Thanksgiving isn’t actually about pumpkin pie and turkey. It’s about being thankful that we have those things, as well as our family and the world around us. While planning your Thanksgiving meal this year, don’t forget to do it in a way that really says you’re thankful for what the earth gives you.

An environmentally friendly Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be hard, and it could result in a more satisfying, much less stressful holiday for you and your family. Remember - you don’t have to do everything at once. It’s better to tackle the areas you can manage for now, then add more good habits next year, than to try it all at once and end up stressed out and unsuccessful. No matter what, do your best, and enjoy your time with your family. Large or small, Thanksgiving should be a time of celebration - don’t get so caught up in the details that you forget.