What you can do for Thanksgiving to Help the Environment

Washington State Department of Ecology

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 1996
96-144a

CONTACT:
Libbie McClaflin (360) 407-6144

What you can do for Thanksgiving to Help the Environment

Thanksgiving is a typical time of driving to a friend or relative's house, eating a home-cooked meal and curling up in front of a cozy fire. Here are some recommendations from the Washington Department of Ecology on how to help protect the environment while celebrating this holiday.

Try a new way to get to your holiday destination by carpooling with other guests or family members.
If you are planning to wash your automobile before you leave, use a car wash business that is equipped to handle the dirty soapy water.
Before travelling to your destination, have your oil leaks fixed on your automobile to help alleviate oil runoff into stormdrains.
If you are having your friends and relatives to your home, take your reusable bags to the grocery store and buy in bulk to avoid overpackaging.
When setting the table, make sure to use durable dishware, not disposable.
When storing the turkey dinner leftovers, use durable containers with lids instead of plastic wrap.
Before lighting that cozy fire, check with the local air pollution control authority to make sure a "burn ban" hasn't been called in your area for fireplaces and woodstoves. Local burn bans are called when levels of air pollution in an area reach unhealthy levels.
When it's time for cleanup, recycle or reuse the paper, glass, plastic, and aluminum items; and compost your food scraps.

And as always, have a safe and happy holiday.