This thanksgiving avoid disposables

Instead of disposables, use cloth napkins and real plates,  utensils, and glasses at your Thanksgiving table.   

According to the Stanford University Recycling Center, The average American produces 4.5 – 5 pounds of garbage a day – almost a ton of garbage per person per year!  During the winter holidays, the amount of garbage Americans throw away increases by 25%. "The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons per week!"

You can minimize your impact by cutting out disposables.  Serve your guests on real plates and cups with washable utensils and napkins.  Have a supply of washable containers for packing up leftover food. In addition, make sure your guests are aware of the location of your recycling container so they know where to put bottles and cans.

Reducing what we send to landfill has multiple benefits:

• Preserves natural resources
• Conserved natural spaces
• Saves energy
• Reduces GHG emissions
• Reduces pollution
• Reduces landfill space, also reducing air, water and land pollution
• Saves money

Sources:
https://lbre.stanford.edu/pssistanford-recycling/frequently-asked-questions/frequently-asked-questions-holiday-waste-prevention

Photo by Didriks on Flickr commons

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