Halloween is an exciting time of the year when we get to dress up in spooky costumes, carve pumpkins, and devour sweet treats. However, all this fun can leave behind a significant ecological footprint. By making some eco-friendly changes to your Halloween routine, you can enjoy your spooky celebration without any guilt. Keep reading for eight ways to keep the environment in mind while taking in those scary fun moments.
Some electronic devices continue to draw power while they’re turned off. Use power strips and turn off lights, fog machines, inflatables, stereos, and other electronic “energy vampires” when not in use. For lighting think about using LED lights or solar-powered lights to reduce energy use. Try using rechargeable batteries as well so that you can use them multiple times. If you’re not home on Halloween, turn off your house lights to save energy and signal to trick-or-treaters that they won’t be stocking up on candy at your doorstep.
Distribute treats with minimal or no packaging. Items like small school supplies, toys, coins, and other goodies such as cupcakes or cookies will create less waste. If purchasing candy, consider buying candy with recyclable wrappers, so kids can recycle them after unwrapping the candy. Single-use plastic wrappers and packaging go straight into the landfill. Now that’s scary!
Use environmentally friendly decorating items. Instead of single-use plastic items, decorate with live autumn plants or gourds. Once the holiday is over you can put them in a compost pile or spread them around your garden and grow them, instead of buying them, for next season. Get creative with materials you already have around. Recyclable materials for decoration can likely be disposed of in the recycling bin. Also, antique and thrift stores are a perfect place to locate secondhand decorations for a fraction of the price.
Host a party with less trash by serving food with minimal packaging, using durable cups, and providing reusable plates and silverware such as bamboo, wood, or glass. Follow the guideline above with decor by using living plants, gourds, or autumn leaves instead of plastic. Put out bins to collect compostable food and recyclables. Make sure to let everyone at the party know which bins to use, the last thing one wants is to mix trash and recyclables because then it all becomes trash. Frightening!
A top priority for Halloween is finding that perfect costume. But what if that perfect costume was already in your closet! For an eco-friendly touch consider making your costume out of repurposed materials. Use some of your old clothes you haven’t worn to mimic a favorite character or use items such as cardboard or fabric to make your own costume. If you need a quick costume idea, turn to a friend and ask to swap costumes or use one of their old ones. For last-minute ideas, consider renting from a vintage or costume store. This way you won’t have to worry about storing it or figuring out what to do with it next.
Walk or bike your trick-or-treating route instead of driving, resulting in fewer emissions from your vehicle. You could also consider visiting a nearby Trunk-or-Treat where groups of people gather in a central location to pass out candy and enjoy other festivities. If you do visit one of these events, invite your family and friends and carpool or organize a walking/biking group to get to the location.
Compost your jack-o-lanterns and floral displays rather than tossing them in the trash. If you don’t have a compost pile, this would be a great way to start one. Visit the Basics of Composting for a guide on how to start! The “guts” and seeds from your pumpkins can also be used to make different types of food! From roasted pumpkin seeds to pumpkin seed butter, there are a variety of food options that can be made from pumpkin leftovers. Did you know you could also use pumpkin pulp as a face mask? Turns out they are packed with vitamins, zinc, and antioxidants that will leave your skin glowing.
Kids can gather treats in reusable bags, buckets, or pillowcases without buying a single-use item. Not only can these reusable ideas be repurposed around the house, but kids can even decorate them for fun! Give them acrylic paint pens and let them customize their pillowcase or bag with drawings of Halloween. Steer them away from writing their name on the outside of the bag as we want to keep them safe.
It’s important to enjoy your Halloween while also taking the time to be mindful and considerate of the impact your actions have on the environment. By making simple changes to your Halloween routine, you can help reduce waste, create less pollution, and have a more sustainable holiday.
