It’s that time of the year again when families gather and give thanks for all the good things which have happened over the past year. It is always a good idea that we should not only celebrate this occasion with lots of food and gifts but also take note of how we could save our environment by being eco-friendly at the same time.

Whether you are preparing for that dinner or planning to send some gifts to friends and family, here are some useful tips on how you can make your Thanksgiving a very special and Green one.turkey


1. Choosing the Green Turkey

Having a Turkey for dinner is one of the iconic symbols of a thanksgiving celebration. Choosing the perfect Turkey which has been raised naturally however is essential for celebrating a Green Thanksgiving.

The center of attention for most of us is the turkey. The Sierra Club recommends "heritage turkeys." Most of the turkeys you'll find in supermarkets are Broad-breasted Whites, which have been industrially bred since the '60s to produce a big breast quickly and cheaply. "Heritage turkeys" is a collective name for several breeds which take longer to raise, but are reputed to taste better. Plus the biodiversity of the breeds makes for a healthier, more environmentally-friendly bird. Green Daily

2. Greeting Green

Sending out letters and cards says that people are special. Taking time to write down your thoughts tells how important these people are especially during the thanksgiving season. Use recycled papers and materials that not only show you care about people but also about the environment.

Green greeting cards are both stylish and economical plus they also show the creative side of you, making these cards special and unique. New eco-friendly materials used to produce paper have become popular as a medium for putting down greetings and are quite stylish compared to traditionally made paper.

Recycling reduces wastes and costs, and save the environment from further cutting down trees for producing new paper. Some examples of these alternative materials which are being used are bamboo, hemp, kenaf, banana stalks, and organic cotton.

3. Dressing Green

Dressing green is not difficult; people don’t have to go to extremes just to show that they are eco-friendly. Dressing green simply means using materials which are naturally found in the environment. Using fur has long been shunned by society as these means killing thousands of animals which have pushed them nearly into extinction.

Choosing and buying clothes which are made from natural materials is not the only way to go green. Part of being green is recycling and one way of recycling is keeping your clothes and reusing them for more than one occasion.

4. Drink Green

“Green” drinks are becoming more popular as people look for natural ways of keeping themselves healthy. Carbonated drinks or sodas for example use large amounts of resources to produce. Packing and processing for example uses great amounts of energy like fossil fuels in order to keep their machines going.

Natural drinks however, like lemonade or juices only require water and fruits to produce. With the rising costs of healthcare it is important that people take in natural and healthy food to maintain optimum health. Offering “Green” drinks could also save you dollars as they are relatively cheaper than sodas or ready to drink beverages.

“Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up at informal sessions known as Green Drinks. We have a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business. Come along and you'll be made welcome. Just say, "are you green?" and we will look after you and introduce you to whoever is there. It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organising network.” Green Drinks

5. Plan Ahead and Avoid Waste

A lot has been said on how we should take care of our environment. It might sometimes seem overwhelming as we consider the scope of what needs to be done. Every journey starts with a single step and a simple step in caring for our environment is starting it at our own homes.

Thanksgiving is a season for appreciating all the good things which we enjoy in life. It could also be an occasion for learning on how we could preserve our natural resources for future use. Planning your dinner and knowing how many people would be visiting could decrease wastes and leftovers after dinner.

6. Share a Ride

Thanksgiving is a time for visiting families, sharing a ride could save huge amounts of fuel. This could also provide you and your friend’s additional time for conversations and updating them on what has happened during the past year.

Commuters can take advantage of many carpool benefits. Perhaps one of the most important benefits to commuters is that carpooling saves money. Sticker shock at the gas pumps has many people trying to cut down on the amount of fuel they use -- joining a carpool is a great way to share the energy burden. Other vehicle-related savings shouldn't be overlooked either. If you have a long commute, the wear and tear on your car can really add up. howstuffworks