Month: November 2026

Thanksgiving is a time to gather around the table, reconnect with family and friends and reflect on what we’re most thankful for. As plans take shape for this year’s celebrations, it’s also a perfect opportunity to show a little gratitude for the air we share by making choices that are better for the environment.

The good news? A greener Thanksgiving doesn’t mean giving up the foods and traditions you love. From planning the feast to getting everyone around the table, small changes can make your celebration more sustainable while helping support cleaner air throughout the St. Louis region.

Plan Your Feast with Less Waste

Thanksgiving usually means plenty of food, and often plenty of leftovers. Before heading to the grocery store, take inventory of what you already have and make a shopping list based on the number of guests you’re expecting. A little planning can help prevent overbuying and reduce food waste.

Once the meal is over, make the most of leftovers by sending guests home with extras or turning remaining turkey, vegetables and other dishes into soups, sandwiches or creative meals for the days ahead. Remember reusable containers for storage rather than reaching for disposable options whenever possible.

Put More Plants on the Table

Traditional favorites will always have their place at Thanksgiving, but consider giving seasonal fruits and vegetables a starring role, too. Adding more plant-based sides is an easy way to introduce some variety while making the holiday spread a little greener.

Shopping locally when possible can also be a great way to celebrate the flavors of the season while supporting farmers and businesses in your community.

Make the Trip to Dinner Greener

Heading across the St. Louis region to celebrate? Coordinate with family and friends headed in the same direction and carpool to the gathering. Fewer vehicles on the road means fewer emissions, plus a little extra time together.

When making last-minute grocery runs or picking up loved ones, combine errands into one trip and avoid unnecessary vehicle idling along the way.

Cook Up Some Energy Savings

With the oven, stovetop and dishwasher working overtime, Thanksgiving can be a busy day for your kitchen. Coordinate dishes that cook at similar temperatures, resist opening the oven door more than necessary and wait until the dishwasher is full before running it.

After dinner, keep the greener mindset going by recycling appropriate cans, bottles, cardboard and other materials accepted by your local recycling program.

Give Thanks for the Air We Share

There’s no need to completely reinvent Thanksgiving to make a difference. Reducing food waste, traveling smarter, conserving energy and making thoughtful choices can all help create a celebration that’s a little kinder to the planet.

This Thanksgiving, as we give thanks for family, friends, traditions and plenty of good food, let’s remember something else we all share: the air we breathe. For more ways to help keep it clean, visit our website, like us on Facebook or follow @gatewaycleanair on X.

Proudly serving the Midwest, Focal Pointe is a people-first landscaping organization that prides itself on honesty, integrity and service to its partners. Founded in 1997 and now more than 500 employees strong, the company’s innovations and collaborations across Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Oklahoma have earned it Champion Level status in the 2025 St. Louis Green Business Challenge.

Community partnerships were a highlight of Focal Pointe’s Challenge year. Through the Broken Bat program with the St. Louis Cardinals, the company planted 35 trees at local parks and schools, one for every bat broken by a batter during the 2025 season. Focal Pointe also teamed up with Operation Food Search and Liberty Apple Orchard to glean a record 2,726 pounds of apples for local food pantries. Gleaning gathers produce after the general harvest, minimizing waste so more of it can be shared.

“I think the Green Business Challenge reflects my philosophy on sustainable success, which makes it hard to measure and shine a bright light on,” said John E. Munie, President of Focal Pointe. “Success, and green initiatives, aren’t one-off shiny events to highlight for a moment. Rather, any sustainable, lasting progress is the result of repetitive, incremental improvements. For that reason, I’m very proud of the Focal Pointe team for humbly staying the course, not because of the recognition; because of the Purpose we have built within Focal Pointe. Our team aspires to help the world celebrate the harmony between people and nature, and I couldn’t be more proud!”

The team also showed up for neighbors after the May 16, 2025 tornado. Along with helping with aid and cleanup directly after the disaster, they raised money to purchase more than 9,000 items for shelters in the impacted area. The items included canned meat, beans, veggies, fruit, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, protein bars, applesauce, bottled water, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant and disinfecting wipes.

On the ground, Focal Pointe installed more than 28,00 plants in 2025, half of them native, representing 150 different native species. The company also installed green infrastructure that supports healthier ecosystems and smarter water use, including 81,838 ft² of bioretention, 2,400 ft² of rain gardens, 4,600 ft² of nature play, 2,155 ft² of green roof, 2,200 ft² of permeable pavers and 5,280 ft² of educational gardens.

Focal Pointe furthered its accomplishments by continuing to steward more than 30 acres of reclaimed urban land into reconstructed prairie. It also converted 113 irrigation clocks to Weathermatic smart controllers, with an estimated 20% water savings for local businesses.

In recognition of these partnerships, Focal Pointe was named co-winner, alongside the St. Louis Cardinals, of the 2025 Green Jean Ponzi Collaborative Impact Award. The award honors businesses that join forces on collaborative initiatives that go beyond normal green operations.

Learn more about Focal Pointe and the St. Louis Green Business Challenge by subscribing to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn how sustainability connects to air quality, visit our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on X @gatewaycleanair.