Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather, give thanks, watch football, and of course eat! But with such a large multi-part meal, there can be many opportunities for waste and disposable plastic.

So, here are 6 tips to help you avoid plastics for your Thanksgiving celebration:

1. Start planning now
2. Shop at the farmer’s market
3. Shop restaurants
4. Use reusable tableware
5. Use compostable decor
6. Save glass jars & ask guests to bring leftover containers

1. Start Planning Now

Putting together a Thanksgiving dinner is no small feat. Make sure you have a plan to get it done in time, but also to avoid waste and, of course, plastic!

First, make a list.

Start with the main. Traditionally, the main is a turkey but in our house, we love an excuse to make a Prime Rib. Whatever your main, make sure you place an order with your butcher or pick it up well in advance. You don’t want to run all over town trying to find the last turkey.

Then look at the sides and sauces: mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, etc.

Finally, what desserts will you serve? Classics like pumpkin pie and apple pie or something fun like a pumpkin cheese?

After you have your list, figure out where you can get various items plastic-free. By starting to plan a week before Thanksgiving, it ensures you can catch your weekly farmer’s market.

2. Shop at the Farmer’s Market

Most Thanksgiving side dishes start with items you can find at the farmer’s market.

• Potatoes – mashed potatoes
• Green Beans – green bean casserole
• Loaf of Bread – stuffing

I plan to grab a bunch of vegetables and fruits for Thanksgiving this weekend at my local farmer’s market.

3. Shop Restaurants

As I talked about in a Simple Guide to Plastic-Free Grocery Shopping, restaurants are a great resource. If you’re not much of a baker, pick up a pumpkin pie at a local diner like Marie Calendar’s. You are more likely to get a paper box as opposed to a plastic pie dish that comes with grocery store pies.

4. Reusable Tableware

After all the hours of work putting together the perfect Thanksgiving meal, it’s tempting to avoid the load of dishes by putting out paper plates and plastic utensils. But don’t do it! Give your food the love it deserves with reusable tableware. Elevate your celebration by breaking out the nice dinnerware.

If you don’t have dinnerware, check out your local thrift shop. There’s a surprising amount of dinnerware! If there’s not a full set, don’t fret. The mismatch dinnerware gives your table a little personality.

While you’re at it, maybe set out the cloth napkins too!

5. Compostable Decor

Pass on the plastic turkeys and other flammable decor. Choose some pumpkins, dried corn, or an arrangement of flowers. All these items are festive but can also be composted afterwards.

You can also grab some plastic-free flowers while at the farmer’s market and throw them into small mason jars for quick DIY flower arrangements.

6. Save Glass Jars & Ask Guests to Bring a Leftovers Container

Thanksgiving is a feast and thus there are always mounds of leftovers. Growing up, we were always sent home with 5 or 6 plastic zip-lock baggies full of Thanksgiving goodies.

One of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving was heating up all the different items in one bowl and sprinkling shredded cheese over it to create a microwave Thanksgiving leftover “casserole”. Mmm. Cheesy goodness.

Back to leftovers. Avoid zip-lock bags by asking your guest to bring a container if they would like to take leftovers home. Another option is to save glass spaghetti sauce or salsa jars to send home with your guest.

Armed with these 6 tips, do you think you can have a plastic-free Thanksgiving? Or at least use a little less plastic than the last year?

For a related post, check out: Simple Guide to Plastic-Free Grocery Shopping.