Your Guide to Greener Gatherings: Thanksgiving Traditions to Try
It’s the perfect time of year to bring eco-friendly practices to the table. From sustainable decor to thoughtful activities with loved ones, these ideas honor both the season and the planet. Let’s make this holiday one to remember—for all the right reasons.
1. Use seasonal ingredients
Plan your menu around local, in-season foods, and share these recipes with your loved ones.
2. Create centerpieces from foraged items
Skip the store-bought décor and use natural finds like pinecones, leaves, and dried flowers to decorate your table.
3. Reduce waste with your dinnerware
Opt for reusable or compostable plates, napkins, and utensils to avoid sending extra garbage to the landfill.
4. Use nature-inspired place cards
Write each guest's name on a pinecone, leaf, or piece of scrap fabric to mark their seat in a creative and sustainable way.
5. Compost together
Set up a station for food scraps from cooking and the meal. Use it as a teaching moment about waste reduction.
6. Make a gratitude tree
Set up a mini "tree" where everyone adds leaves made of recycled paper with things they're thankful for. It can double as a centerpiece.
7. Host a nature walk or community cleanup
Gather friends and family to enjoy the outdoors or do a quick neighborhood cleanup before or after the meal to show your gratitude to nature.
8. Create an eco-friendly family recipe book
Collect and print favorite Thanksgiving recipes, including tips for sourcing ingredients locally or making them low-waste. This can become a treasured annual tradition.
9. Pass the time with DIY crafts
Have a table for the kids at your gathering (or anyone, really) to make crafts from recycled or natural materials like leaf crowns, acorn necklaces, or painted rocks.
10. Plan a “give-and-take” table for unwanted items
Have you always wanted to host a swap, but have never had the time to follow through on it? Why not give it a try when family and friends will already be gathered? Have your guests bring gently used items, like books or clothes, to trade with each other.
11. Create a Thanksgiving “Good Deed” jar
Ask your guests to jot down ideas for small, environmentally friendly acts, and commit to trying them in the coming year.
12. Collect cans to donate
Emphasize community care over consumerism, and have people bring non-perishable items to bring to your local food bank.