This season, commit to being festive AND sustainable
You already know how to throw an amazing party but getting into the holiday spirit without over-consuming and breaking your budget often feels like fighting against the current.
The last thing you want to do this season is hit pause on caring for the planet (and the oceans). In Canada and the US, household waste can increase by as much as 25% during this festive period.
Being sustainable is not synonymous with having a sad beige season though. Here are a few simple, sustainable tips:
Meal/Party Planning
1. Ham, turkey, and roast beef aren’t the only showstoppers on a holiday dinner table. Check out these six festive fish dishes from around the world. Swapping meat like beef, pork, or poultry for seafood will lower the carbon footprint of your meal.
2. Plan your portions to reduce food waste. There’s no shame in getting up for seconds if you’re still hungry! Anti-food waste nonprofit ReFED estimates that 320 million pounds of food will be wasted in the US just during Thanksgiving alone. By only buying or taking what you need, you can help lower that number.
3. Reuse decorations or decorate with natural items like pinecones, holly, and dried oranges. Here are some chef-approved recommendations for setting the right sustainable dinner party scene.
4. Avoid single-use plastics. Instead, opt for real plates, cutlery, and glasses.
Shopping
5. Support retailers committed to sustainable sourcing and ask your local fishmonger what they have that’s MSC certified.
6. If you can't find MSC, choose seafood that’s been sourced well from regions you recognize. For example, Alaskan salmon, Atlantic prawns, or Pacific tuna.
7. Always keep your eyes peeled for the MSC blue fish label when you're shopping for canned and frozen seafood as well.
Leftovers
8. Make a stock: Reuse bones, heads, and tails to make a homemade stock with no preservatives.
9. Compost and recycle vegetable peels and other organic scraps that don’t go well in stock rather than throw them away.
10. Store leftovers in reusable containers, refrigerate, and make a plan to use them in the next couple of days. Here are some creative ways to factor fish into your holiday leftovers.
And of course...
11. Overall, enjoy yourself and eat something delicious!
As you’re prepping for your holiday parties, dinners, and cozy nights in, don’t forget about how easy it is to make a quick sustainable swap!
