Halloween is one of our favourite holidays! The Candy, the costumes, trick-or-treating with friends… What’s not to love?
However, there’s one spooky part of Halloween that many people don’t think about as they get ready for the holiday: the waste! The day produces a ton of single-use plastics that get thrown away the next day. We want you and your family to have a good time while keeping the environment in mind so here are our tips for greening your Halloween plans!
Costumes
The biggest source of waste associated with the holiday is cheap single-use costumes that get thrown away as soon as Halloween is over. Many of these are only worn once and start to fall apart almost immediately. Instead of buying a ready-made costume, try making your own! With a little creativity, old clothing you already have can be remodeled into something new. If you can’t find anything at home, try going to your local thrift store. You’ll be amazed at what you can find for cheap. Save your costumes year after year so they can be remodeled into something different. You can feel good knowing that you’re doing the environment a favor and, as a bonus, your costume will be totally unique!
Decorations
Like costumes, a lot of Halloween decorations that you can buy are made of cheap plastic that falls apart easily. There are lots of alternatives to these: the easiest and most environmentally friendly option is the classic Jack-O-Lantern. Save the seeds from your pumpkin and roast them with salt for a delicious and healthy snack. When Halloween is over, compost your pumpkin instead of throwing it in the garbage. (Pumpkins can also make great animal food – talk to local farmers to see if they want them!)
There are lots of cool decorations you can make using items found in nature! You can also paint recycled cardboard to make tombstones or other décor for your yard. If you do want to buy decorations, try to find ones that are sturdy so they can be reused every year.
Candy
For most kids, the sweets are their favourite part of Halloween. Many of the big chocolate manufacturing companies clear cut land and use a ton of water in their products. Some also use forced labor or child labor on their cocoa plantations. For this reason, consider looking for fair-trade chocolate to hand out or making your own sweets. If you do use commercial chocolate, don’t buy more than you need.
Litter
Litter is a major problem in the days following Halloween. Candy wrappers need to go in the trash; make sure your kids are putting their wrappers in the right place.
Consider organizing a trash pickup after Halloween. It will remind kids of the importance of environmental stewardship following the holiday. Cleaning up your favourite places is a great way to say thanks to the environment. Plus, garbage pickups are a perfect activity for burning off your kid’s sugar rush from all that candy!
What are your tricks for sustainable Halloween celebrations? Let us know in the comments! We hope you and your family have a fantastic and eco-friendly Halloween!