Staggering Statistic: Don’t Let Your Thanksgiving Celebration Go To Waste

Thanksgiving might as well be renamed “National Food Waste Day.”

Not to be a total downer, but it’s the truth. Every Turkey Day, approximately 230 million pounds of turkey meat gets thrown out. That’s about one-third of all turkey purchased for the holiday.

And that’s not all. Overall household waste increases by more than 25 percent each holiday season. Just think about it: The Thanksgiving table is almost always overcrowded with food, isn’t it? And let’s not even get started on Christmas—all that gift wrap has to go somewhere.

This holiday season, give back to the environment by cutting down on your family’s waste. Figure out how many guests you’ll have at dinner, and shop for food accordingly. If you do have leftover food you can’t eat, consider composting. When you inevitably get gifts, reuse or recycle the paper. Consider it your contribution to the season of giving.