Create Low-Waste Holiday Traditions

Holidays are celebrations that often involve large amounts of food. Sadly, an abundance of waste often accompanies this abundance of food. As mentioned in previous newsletters, Spokane holds the #1 spot for food waste in Washington State. Here are some tips to change that and make your holiday’s less wasteful.

GROCERY SHOPPING: Bring your own produce bags and shopping bags -less plastic is always good. Use net or cloth bags. Dampen cloth bags to maintain freshness of leafy greens like kale and lettuce, cruciferous veggies like broccoli and romanesco as well as carrots, and celery in the crisper.

COOKING: Collect all food clippings, trimmings and unwaxed papers for composting. You can put all of these items in the green bin. If you don’t have a green bin ask a neighbor if you can use theirs or blend everything up and pour it into the ground - from the Earth, back to the Earth.

DECORATING: Go natural with fresh flowers, gourds, pinecones etc…

AT THE TABLE: Use cloth napkins. Local shops carry beautiful cloth options. Check out Kizuri and The Kitchen Engine or get crafty and make your own from scrap fabric.

REUSABLE CONTAINERS: If you’re hosting: encourage guests to bring their own reusable containers for leftovers Or you can purchase some aluminum and paper ones ahead of time. Going as a guest? Bring your own containers. If you’re feeling shy about expecting leftovers, leave them in your car or bag until the right time.