Key Points:
- Rent or Get Crafty then Thrift!
- Go Local for Pumpkins
- Eco-Friendly Spooky Item Swap
- Carving Pumpkins vs. Painting Them
- Trick-or-Treat Waste
First off, I would like to mention that it’s almost impossible to create a completely waste-free Halloween unless you decide to cancel its celebration and that would be no fun! But, fear not, there are ways to eliminate cost and waste on this spooky day.
Rent or Get Crafty then Thrift
The celebration of Halloween unfortunately, also presents us with a lot of waste, both due to excess plastic production as well as in our pockets. However, there are many ways to contribute less and save yourself some money. You can rent your costume from one of the many Halloween costume rental sites or utilize my personal favorite, Pinterest, for DIY ideas and instructions for vintage and reused ensemble. If you do decide to purchase a costume, save it for the years to come or donate it to your local thrift shop. You can even costume swap with friends and family to switch up your spooky outfits.
Go Local for Pumpkins
This goes without saying but shop local for your Halloween décor! Organically grown pumpkins purchased from your community will help you to reduce your environmental footprint by decreasing your amount of food miles. Local produce doesn’t travel long distances which reduces your carbon footprint significantly, unlike a plane or truck.
Eco-Friendly Spooky Item Swap
There are a few ways you can be mindful of items purchased for the eerie festivity. One includes the use of natural, eco-friendly makeup and glitter for your costume. Many people love to put up Halloween lights to get festive and the best way to reduce here is to test out a spooky evening with candles or swap out for LED lights.
Carving Pumpkins vs. Painting Them
We all love to decorate our porch steps during this season with painted and carved pumpkins of all shapes and sizes and luckily you can reduce your footprint other than just purchasing locally! If you are utilizing your local compost service or have your own, ditch the painted pumpkins this year and stick to just carving. Pumpkins that are painted, even if labeled non-toxic, will never completely break down in your compost and can spread harmful chemicals to nearby water and soil.
Trick-or-Treat Waste
We all know eliminating single-use plastic products is a great way to go green. This year you can buy candy with eco-friendly packaging and when disposing of your average candy wrappers you can purchase a Zero Waste Box from TerraCycle and properly dispose of these plastics.
Happy Halloween!
Resources and additional eco-friendly options:
Image: By Lillian Sachs
https://cleanchoiceenergy.com/news/halloween
https://green.harvard.edu/tools-resources/green-tip/6-tips-greener-halloween
http://reducereuserenewblog.com/zerowastehalloween/
