I think by now, everybody realises we can’t keep doing things the same old way, and still have a healthy planet (thank you Greta) and healthy bodies. Halloween needs to be more green than orange…
Halloween doesn’t have to mean buying bags of lollies individually wrapped in plastic, costumes made of cheap vinyl, toxic PVC masks, plastic pumpkins that break on the way home, decorations that end up on the garbage heap and traffic jams from driving to the next suburb.
There are some awesome websites with loads of information on how to have a greener halloween, including:
https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/10-green-halloween-tips
https://green.harvard.edu/tools-resources/green-tip/6-tips-greener-halloween
https://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2012/10/22/seven-tricks-to-green-halloween/
https://goodonyou.eco/ultimate-guide-green-halloween/
https://vault.sierraclub.org/autumn/tips-halloween.aspx
https://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-halloween.html
https://www.thoughtco.com/green-halloween-tips-and-tricks-1203920
http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/green-halloween.html
http://naturemoms.com/blog/2007/10/02/eco-friendly-halloween/
Here are the top tips:
Make your own decorations
- Save up items for craft during the year.
- Old stockings make great spiderwebs, cardboard boxes make great coffins.
- There’s nothing better than a decoration your kids made themselves. Each year I still bring out the halloween houses the boys made in kindergarten. They’re falling apart now, but it makes halloween personal.
Make your own costumes
- Old torn clothes splattered with red food dye are an excellent cheap costume
- Or haunt the local op shop to see what you can reuse from others
Have a green halloween party
- Use regular cups and plates or buy biodegradable composting ones.
- Use electronic party invitations.
- Recycle all bottles and cans.
- Buy food locally from markets.
- Keep recycling bins handy during the party.
Make your own treats
- What a challenge – see if you can make all of your own healthy halloween treats.
- Avoid artificial flavours and colourings.
- Wrap treats in compostable paper – yes it will be time-consuming, but you’ll feel fantastic afterwards. I can’t wait until some of the edible wrapper ideas at https://foodtank.com/news/2018/09/have-your-food-and-eat-the-wrapper-too/ are more accessibl
- If your kids come home with too many treats, consider an exchange to the “halloween fairy”, swapping treats for an experience instead – a movie or game.
Reusable trick-or-treat bags
- Decorate a bucket, pillowcase or old bag, and reuse it each year
- There are some awesome halloween bags at http://www.kamibashi.com/products/dolls/freakobags/ that can inspire – why not add your own buttons and ears to decorate an old pillow case
Home-grown pumpkins
- Grow your own, or buy one from the local grocer.
- Don’t forget to roast your pumpkin seeds for a yummy snack.
Lighting
- Use solar-powered lanterns or beeswax candles to light your jack-o-lantern or garden.
Trick-or-treat locally
- Walk around your local community instead of driving. Catch a bus or carpool if you can’t avoid it.
- Get to know your neighbours – both parents and kids.
Swap and Share
- Have friends over for a costume swap.
- It’s a great idea for a pre-halloween party, and cool for both kids and adults.
- I love the idea on Sustainable Baby Steps where the guy pins a chicken to his shirt and calls himself a chick magnet..
Compost and recycle
- Aim for compostable wrappers and decorations and party food that can be composted.
- Aim for decorations that can be reused each year, placing them in storage.