SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — As families across the nation gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, a less savory tradition unfolds in kitchens and dining rooms.

That is the staggering amount of food waste generated during this festive feast. From untouched leftovers to discarded trimmings, we delve into the economic and environmental costs of this annual indulgence.

In Georgia, 12% of the landfill waste around 800,000 tons comes from food residuals or scraps. Waste which can be translated to $1.92 billion a year.

This could be divided into 160 pounds per Georgian. In the nation, it’s estimated that 312 million pounds of food will go to waste this Thanksgiving.

When your trash is carted off to the landfill, food waste makes up 58% of methane gas emissions.

How can you reduce food waste?

Make leftovers taste better

After the feast, we wrap up the food to eat over the next week, but it often doesn’t taste like it did the day off and ends up in the trash. Microwaves are convenient, but reheat your leftovers in the oven at 375 degrees or over the stove.

Adding toppings, switching the base and introducing new sides can make last night’s dinner new.

Make new meals from leftovers

Instead of eating the same meal until the rest of your Thanksgiving dinner is gone try out new dinners. Mac & cheese and sweet potatoes can easily be used in many dishes, turkey could always be used in sandwiches, wraps and salads.

Move to the Freezer

Cooked turkey can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days but in the freezer for best quality between 3 to 4 months. Ham could last in the freezer for a month and gravy for up to six months.

Mac and Cheese can last in the freezer for 3 months and collard greens for a year.

Compost

With extra greens and fruits you could turn your waste into rich soil you can use in a garden, landscaping, or share waste.