November 2018: 12 Tips for a More Sustainable Holiday Season

1. Unlearn the myth of Thanksgiving: For many indigenous people, Thanksgiving is a painful time, not a cause for celebration. The articles No Thanks: How Thanksgiving Narratives Erase the Genocide of Native Peoples and Native Americans explain why "Thanksgiving" Holiday is a Celebration of Genocide can provide a perspective that your textbook failed to share.

2. Attend Indigethanx: An Alternative Thanksgiving Celebration, hosted by the American Indian Resource Center, on November 16 from 5:00-7:00pm at the Women's Center (Cardiff House). Indigethanx provides an opportunity to rethink the Thanksgiving holiday and help educate the UCSC community about traditional Native foods. 


3. Use public transportation or carpool. If you are planning to travel this holiday season, use public transportation or carpool to reduce carbon emissions (and skip out on the crazy holiday traffic!)

4. Use reusable dishes and cloth napkins instead of disposable plates and plastic utensils. Soiled paper plates and napkins are usually not recyclable and create a ton of waste. If reusable isn’t an option, try to choose disposable plates and utensils made from 100% post consumer waste recycled paper.

5. Decorate with nature. Instead of decorating the table with plastic and synthetic decoration, collect pinecones, acorns, and colorful leaves to use as natural festive decor.

6. Shop for local and in season foods. Take a trip to the local farmer’s market to purchase local and in season foods to limit the carbon emissions from the journey food takes before it makes its way to the table.

7. Take reusable bags with you to the grocery store. When buying groceries to prepare for holiday dinners, use reusable bags instead of single-use plastic or paper bags to reduce waste generation.

8. Reduce energy use. If you are making several dishes that need to be cooked in the oven at the same temperature, put them in at the same time to reduce energy use and prep time. Further reduce your energy use by turning down the thermostat and the lights when not in use.

9. Cook only what you need. Americans throw an estimated 40% of food away each year. That’s a lot! Avoid excess food waste by preparing a smaller portions and skip some of the less popular dishes.

10. Turn your scraps into soup. To further reduce food waste, turn your vegetable scraps into soup — just rinse your veggies and throw the trimmings into a big pot of water and boil.

11. Store leftovers in reusable containers. Instead of using single-use plastic bags, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap, store food in reusable containers to help reduce waste generation.

12. Skip Black Friday shopping. Instead of dealing with the huge crowd of shoppers and driving all over town, skip the stressful shopping fest and make homemade gifts this year or buy gifts from local shops.