How to have a sustainable Thanksgiving, reduce waste and protect the environment

Around Thanksgiving, gluttony abounds.

About 45 million turkeys are slaughtered each year for Americans to feast on, according to the National Turkey Federation.

The fall holiday also prompts epic waste.

About 200 million pounds of turkey are thrown out, according to estimates from the Natural Resources Defense Council. Wasted food, though, is a year-round phenomenon.

Annually, Americans toss out about two-fifths of their food; uneaten food costs families around $1,500. Global food waste, which emits methane in landfills, contributes to around 8% of greenhouse gas emissions fueling climate change, according to Roni Neff, an associate professor of environmental health and engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“Focusing on gratitude for our food can help us make less wasteful choices” and consider changes that bring about food systems where no one is hungry, Neff said in a recent briefing. “If you love food, you want to have the opportunity to enjoy it to its fullest rather than trashing it.”

Neff and others say it's not too late to curb these habits, reduce food waste and support sustainable production, which has health benefits. From the turkey you choose and the side dishes you make to what you do with leftovers, here are steps to help you reduce waste on Thanksgiving.

The turkey

People can consider giving turkey less room on their plate, said Keeve Nachman, associate director of the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. This could mean buying a lighter-weight bird than you'd normally purchase.

There are several ways to avoid getting a turkey raised using unsustainable industrial farming practices. These gargantuan operations drain water resources, use fossil fuels, grow larger animals and ship their meat all over the country.

You can opt for a certified organic or free-range turkey, said Jessica Fanzo, a professor at Columbia University’s Climate School who has written about ways to host a sustainable Thanksgiving.

Organic means the turkey feed was made without using fossil fuels, pesticides, herbicides or antibiotics, Fanzo said. Free range means the animal had access to outdoor space. People can also look for heritage breeds, meaning turkeys that wandered freely their entire lives, often in more natural habitats.

If you want to be sure about how or where the animals were raised, you're better off buying locally, experts said. But this can be difficult since Americans increasingly live far from where their food is cultivated.

Alternative main dishes

People can avoid turkey altogether, especially if they're not big fans of it. Other meat options include smaller animals such as Cornish game hens or fish such as branzino.

People can also opt for plant-based options such as tofu or tempeh.

Reducing meat consumption lessens your environmental footprint and improves your cardiovascular health, especially if you cut back on red meat and processed meat, Fanzo said.

Side dishes

You'll create less waste if you prioritize side dishes that offer a more balanced, healthy holiday diet, experts said. Pick recipes that have more fruit, vegetables and legumes.

Fall varietals of pumpkin, squash, apples, pomegranates, Brussels sprouts, kale and cranberries can be savory additions and add color to plates. Seasonal options also help reduce the environmental footprint of shipping products cross-country or from overseas.

Gravy, of course, is a staple for Thanksgiving. Making it with portobello mushrooms can help reduce meat consumption. You can move away from starchy potatoes, which require heavy irrigation, and bread and stuffing, since wheat production has been strained by climate change, and instead make legumes, such as lentils, beans and chickpeas. You can also use grains such as millet or quinoa.

Leftovers

Fanzo recommends making room in your refrigerator and freezer to store what's left after the big meal for longer. It's good for everyone if hosts encourage their guests to take leftovers to go. Take a creative approach to leftovers, like throwing a fried egg on stuffing or making turkey and cranberry sandwiches.

The scraps from vegetables and bones can be cooked into stock. You can store broth in the freezer, thawing it out as needed.

If your leftover food is edible and worth sharing, you may be able to donate it to a local food bank, said Anya Obrez, an advocacy associate at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

What about actual trash?

Bones and produce trimmings that will spoil can be composted. Recycling organic matter can improve soil health and reduce emissions, among other benefits.

However, composting may be difficult in some parts of the U.S., since it's set up on a local level. You can look for food scrap drop-off spots in your area. They're sometimes organized through a farmers market. You can also compost at home or in your yard, if that's an option.

What ends up on our plates includes everything that came before it and impacts waste after the meal, Obrez said.

"When food goes to waste, so does everything that it takes to get it to our plates," she said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to have a sustainable Thanksgiving