5 Ways to Cut Down on Food Waste This Thanksgiving

Picture this: it's Thanksgiving, and your home is buzzing with excitement. The aroma of food fills the air, and you're frantically checking your to-do list. Sound familiar? We've all been there! As hosts, we dread the thought of running out of food mid-feast. So we cook and prepare more than we need. On top of that, guests show up with sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pies.

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So while this better-safe-than-sorry approach ensures no one goes hungry, it comes with a downside. Before Thanksgiving in 2023, it was estimated that Americans would throw out about 312 million pounds of turkey, mashed potatoes, and other foods.

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That’s a lot of food waste and isn’t great news for the planet.

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The Environmental Cost of Food Waste

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When we throw away food, we waste all the fuel, water, labor, and other resources that go into growing, harvesting, packing, and transporting it. Moreover, most food waste ends up in landfills, where it decomposes without oxygen and releases methane — a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Food rotting in landfills is responsible for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

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The economic impact is equally staggering. The U.S. spends approximately $440 billion annually — 2% of the country's gross domestic product — to produce food that no one will eat.

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Ways to Reduce Thanksgiving Food Waste

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Try these strategies to reduce food waste this Thanksgiving. Your wallet and the planet will both benefit:

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Start with Meal Prep

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Start your food preparation by calculating how much food you'll need based on the type of dishes and number of guests. You can use online resources like Guest-imator for this. Next, take stock of what you already have in the refrigerator and make a list of items you need to buy. 

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For your shopping needs, consider exploring local farmers' markets or online retailers such as Imperfect Foods or Misfits Market. These platforms purchase produce from farmers that might otherwise go to waste, offering it to consumers at discounted prices.

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Also, consider offering a limited menu. When you provide more options, guests tend to take smaller portions of each item to sample a variety of foods. Consequently, the amount of each dish consumed decreases as the number of options increases. 

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Store Leftovers

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You'll likely have some leftovers from the meal. Be proactive and ask your guests to bring their own containers. This way, you can send leftovers home with them. Better yet, let them choose what they want to take — this increases the chances they'll actually eat the leftovers. Also, keep some space empty in your freezer and refrigerator so you can store any extra food, preventing waste.

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Label your own leftovers in your own fridge and freezer so it’s easier to see what you have at-a-glance.

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Donate or Share Food

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After your guests have filled their boxes and your freezer is full, consider donating any remaining food to your local food bank, community fridge, or to those in need. Check out the Feeding America website or the EPA's Excess Food Opportunities Map to find a food bank near you. You could also share leftovers with your neighbors through your local Buy Nothing group.

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Get Creative with the Leftovers

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Transform leftover mashed potatoes into breakfast fritters or turn stale bread into a delicious bread pudding. Make use of turkey bones for a flavorful stock and leftover meat for a hearty turkey chili. You might even start a new tradition — like serving homemade turkey soup the weekend after Thanksgiving.

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Compost it

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Composting should be your last resort when discarding food, but it's far better than sending it to landfills. Before you compost, review our Composting Guide to learn which items aren't suitable for home composting. If you don't have access to your city's composting facility, look into local community gardens or composting organizations as alternatives for managing your food waste.

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Also listen: Composting Is for Everyone

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