Halloween kicks off the part of the year where we all tend to get a bit more wasteful. There are always options on how we can reduce the impact of these holidays. I have outlined some tips below and what we will be doing to make sure we celebrate sustainably.
Candy
There are lots of options when it comes to candy. Usually the biggest option when buying is chocolate or chips. Let's change this thinking and add other options like organic candy, sugar free candy, apple chips, veggie chips, pumpkin seeds, granola bars or non food alternatives (pencils, erasers, stickers). This year we are giving out organic candy. I found Pure Fun candy at our local grocery store and am also going to give out Yummy Earth Organic suckers.
If you do not want to buy organic or don't have options readily available to you there are still smart choices that you can make. Chose to not buy Nestle products due to their unethical business practices including their misleading marketing of formula and continued environmental destruction.
If you do not want to buy organic or don't have options readily available to you there are still smart choices that you can make. Chose to not buy Nestle products due to their unethical business practices including their misleading marketing of formula and continued environmental destruction.
Costumes
There is no need to buy a new costume every year. Look for alternatives like:
* Buying 2nd hand from a consignment shop and online website
* Trading costumes with friends/neighbours/coworkers/family
* Making costumes from every day materials you have in your home
It was easy for us this year as we thought ahead last year and bought a costume that was a bit too big. It still fits him this year so he will yet again be a shark.
To collect his candy in (okay the candy is technically for us) we carry a re-useable bag. I remember when I was a kid we would use pillow cases and I see loads of kids still doing this. It is rare to see someone showing up at the door with a plastic bag so I think that is a positive trend.
Decorations
We don't really decorate for Halloween other than carving 3 pumpkins. We get our pumpkins from a local farm where we can pick our own. We make spicy pumpkin seeds out of the insides and then compost the pumpkins when we are done with them. If you do put up decorations there are some ideas:
* Buy items that you can reuse year after year
* Look for items that use no power or batteries
* Make decorations from items you have around the house
* Use leaves to 'stuff' decorations
How do you ensure you have a sustainable Halloween? Check out all the other ideas at Change the World Wednesday.* Use leaves to 'stuff' decorations
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Wonderful ideas! I might add that Hershey is another chocolate manufacturer to avoid (http://www.greenamerica.org/takeaction/hershey/). I like the idea of organic treats ... but I'm still bothered by the amount of packaging (tons of individually wrapped treats ... ugh). Some kind of non-food item would be a lovely idea! Thanks for suggesting this challenge and for sharing your ideas!
ReplyDeleteI wish we lived in a world where we could make treats to give out.
ReplyDelete(Stopping by from CTWW at Reduce Footprints)
ReplyDeleteI dressed up as a vampire every year for about 10 years. Talk about reusing a costume! The black dress I wore was pretty torn by the end of that decade.
These are great tips. I like the idea of giving out erasers or stickers instead of candy. Kids get so much candy--what about giving out little bracelets or something different?
I wish we could give out homemade goodies, too. I made bon bon eyeballs a few years a go that were amazingly delicious and would be a welcome change from Reeses cups and Necco wafers.
I think when B gets a bit older (and same with the kids around here) I may make goodies for the kids I know and then give out something non food related to the rest.
ReplyDeleteLove that you used your costume for 10 years!
I am a true believer in making costumes. This is the first year we bought costumes but my husband bought them big to make sure they would fit again. We have carried on the tradition from when i was a kid of the Halloween box. At the end of Halloween we put our costumes in a box so we can use ideas from it next year.
ReplyDeleteI also try to use items around the house to put the candy in i.e., "I" used a wicker basket last year. I have seen kids with plastic bags to put the candy in but it is because it is what the schools and fire dept hand out.
I firmly agree with purchasing local pumpkins. My girls and i head to the farm every year to purchase our 2 pumpkins. It sorta bugs me that grocery store are selling them for $2 because it really takes people away from purchasing at the farm because the same pumpkin is more like $5 there.