Halloween Ideas

Thinking of making your Halloween eco-friendly this year? Hopefully the answer is “Yes!” Every October, millions of Americans spend billions of dollars preparing for Halloween. We head out to stores to stock up on candy, costumes, decorations, and other party supplies. Sadly, most of the Halloween goods we buy are not very eco-friendly—and come November, most of them end up in the trash. However, with a little effort, the typical orange and black Halloween can easily become “green.”

Costumes
Choosing the perfect costume can be one of the most exciting aspects of this holiday season. Many costumes available at stores or online contain toxic dyes and petroleum-based products. Plus, there is a large environmental footprint that goes along with the manufacturing and transport of new costumes. As an alternative:

• ⁱMake your own costume! Use old sheets to create the perfect ghost, old boxes and materials could create robots or other creatures, or old hand-me-downs can be used to create almost any character. Be creative! For more ideas, check out: greenhalloween.org or thedailygreen.com.
• Buy used or vintage materials! Many second-hand shops revamp their stores during the Halloween season to help shoppers find the perfect costume. You can find a Goodwill store close to you with their store locator: locator.goodwill.org.
• Make a statement with an environmentally themed costume! Make your own costume or buy used materials to show that you care about the environment—it may be a great conversation starter at a party too! Some ideas include: Mother Earth, the ozone layer, the ocean, a living roof, etc.

Decorations
Whether you will be hosting a party or just decorating for your household, Halloween decor can be just as important as the costume you wear. Many of these decorations come from trees or petroleum-based products and can easily be made green. Even the pumpkins you decide to carve have an environmentally friendly option. You could:

• Use leftover materials from your costumes to hang as decorations. Old sheets can be thrown in the trees (and reused) to create ghosts, old boxes can be used (and then recycled) as lawn coffins or other creepy characters, or just use natural materials like leaves and branches to create some fall flair.
• Provide locally grown pumpkins! Many of the local farms in your area will be growing pumpkins for Halloween season. Check your local farmer’s market or stop by a local farm for pumpkins that will most likely be pesticide-free and will have a significantly lower carbon footprint that conventional pumpkins. To find one close to you, check out: localharvest.org.

Candy
Treats tend to be one of the most anticipated parts of Halloween! Many of the treats you will hand out and consume yourself come with unnecessary packaging containing plastics and dyes and are probably not organic or fair-trade. However, there are other options!

• Try looking for organic or fair-trade treats. Many alternatives are available including chocolate, lollipops, fruit leathers, granola bars, or honey sticks. For more ideas, check out: greenhalloween.org.
• Try handing out treasures instead of treats! Trick-or-treaters may enjoy something a little different than plain old candy. Look for eco-friendly treats like soy or beeswax crayons, non-toxic erasers, wooden spinning tops, seashells, etc. You can find more ideas and featured vendors here.

Trick-or-Treating
Trick-or-treating can make a large environmental footprint, but that footprint can also be easily avoided. Remember to:

• ⁱⁱⁱBring along a reusable bag for collecting treats! You could try using pillowcases, old baskets, or even reusable shopping bags. Save (and even decorate) the bag to be used year after year.
• Walk, bike, or use public transportation on Halloween night. If none of these alternatives are an option, try carpooling with your neighbors to your trick-or-treating destination.
• Encourage clean up while you are going door to door! Many kids (and adults) like to enjoy some of their treats throughout the evening, but make sure that the wrappers do not end up on the ground. Remind them to put their wrappers in their bags to throw away at home, and teach them to pick up other wrappers on the ground on their journey. It will create good, lasting habits for the rest of the year too!

Clean-Up
Once the Halloween festivities are over and your blood sugar levels are back to normal, it is easy to want to throw any reminders of the evening in the trash. Our landfills are already overflowing, and many of these things can be recycled, reused, or even composted.

• Save your costumes! You can create a costume box at home for the kids (or yourself) to have on hand for enjoyment throughout the year and years to come. Or you could donate your old costumes to friends, second-hand stores, or costume shops. If you must throw it away, make sure to recycle any pieces that you can!
• Save your decorations! Some of the decorations you made could be used again or even transformed into a costume next year. However, if they cannot be reused, try to recycle.
• If you do not already compost, Halloween is the perfect time to start! Old pumpkins, food scraps, fallen leaves, and other biodegradable waste can easily be composted. If you are interested in making your own compost, check out this Greeniacs Guide.

Just remember, with a little bit of thought and effort, Halloween can be easily transformed into an eco-friendly holiday!