It’s that time of year for gatherings with friends and family, delicious food galore, fun decorations, and a time to take a moment to appreciate all you’re thankful for. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I wanted to share 5 eco-tips that mama Earth will thank you for:

YouTube: 5 Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving Tips

Disclaimer: Some of the discount codes below are affiliate codes. If you use it and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission (and you will get a lil discount yourself!)

Shop locally:

Reduce your carbon footprint by shopping locally! Plus a lot of times this means supporting small businesses too! My mentality is you can still make a difference even if you only buy a few local items. Whether you pick up local green beans, cranberries, or some flowers, do your best to shop locally for items on your list. Don’t forget your reusable tote and produce bags!

Use reusable tableware or opt for compostable options:

Use reusable plates, silverware, and napkins! Our family always uses reusable plates and flatware but our gatherings are usually only 4-6 people. If you typically have a big gathering and want to use single-use plates, napkins, and silverware consider using a compostable option. I reccomend using Repourpose products. They carry a wide variety of options: from compostable wine glasses to plates and straws! Use my code courtney15 for 15% off Repurpose products.

If you are using reusable plates and have a dishwasher, I recommend using Dropps low waste dishwasher pods. They come in in a compostable cardboard box instead of pods that are usually packaged in plastic containers. I also recommend their power dish spray! This is my first time using a dish soap like this and it works great. You can learn more about that here. If you want to give Dropps a try use courtney25 for 25% off if you’re a new customer and courtney15 for 15% if you’re a returning customer!

Compost your food scraps:

Don’t forget to compost those food scraps! If you’re not composting yet, check out my blog, 3 Ways to Compost for Beginners, to see what composting method works best for you and your lifestyle. I also think that reducing your food waste is a great way to help mama Earth. One way to reduce your food waste is by saving your leftovers instead of tossing them, which I’ll talk more about below.

Use low waste decorations:

Ever since I was a kid, my sister and I always pick some fallen leaves outside to use as table decoration. Little did we know how eco-friendly we were being! But seriously, natural foliage makes such a lovely decoration. Whether that’s leaves, local flowers, or even hole punching leaves to make confetti, get creative with what nature has to offer!

Other low waste decoration ideas are making a banner with paper and twine, upcycling corks to make a pumpkin, or making a low waste pumpkin pompom garland. Check out this quick video here to see how easy it is to make a cute cork pumpkin!

Use your leftovers:

I don’t know about you but I love Thanksgiving leftovers! Our family always makes turkey sandwiches the day after Thanksgiving to take on a picnic. We also make turkey soup which is one of my favorites. It’s so perfect to enjoy on a cozy day. Enjoying your leftovers instead of throwing them away is a delicious way to reduce waste. What are your favorite ways to use your leftovers? Let me know in the comments!