Yuletide Party Guide

'Tis the season of parties and festivities, food and fun. From Thanksgiving through New Year's we like nothing more than to eat, drink and be merry, so we need successful strategies to cut down on the waste we create from our amplified entertaining.

Turn down the heat before the guests arrive. You'll save energy while the extra body heat of your guests will warm up the room.

For formal affairs, consider renting seldom worn party clothes or buying them from consignment shops.

You can also rent dishes and glassware, making your party more elegant and eliminating the need to buy special holiday china.

Walk to neighborhood parties, or carpool (with a designated driver!) with friends if it's too far to walk.

After the party, don't throw away the leftovers! Put them in plastic containers or bags and send them home with guests, or donate to food banks.

Plan meals wisely and practice portion control to minimize waste in the first place:

FOOD/DRINK PORTION PER PERSON
Eggnog 1/2 cup
Turkey 12-14 pounds (up to 10 people)
Stuffing 1/4 pound
Sweet Potato Casserole 1/4 pound
Green Beans 1/4 pound
Cranberry relish 3 tablespoons
Pumpkin Pie 1/8 of a 9" pie

Did you know...at least 28 billion pounds of edible food are wasted each year ? or over 100 pounds per person. Putting one less cookie on Santa's plate will reduce his snacking by about 2 million pounds.

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