Environmentally Friendly Halloween Ideas
Make this disposable holiday a little greener
Halloween is autumn’s debut “event-of-the-season”. With the parties, treats and creative costumes, the festivities of Halloween are something many Americans look forward to for months. For some, however, the only thing scary about this holiday is the amount of waste it creates. According to the National Retail Federation Americans will spend about $4.75 Billion on Halloween this year. That’s almost $5 Billion of disposable items – decorations, costumes, trick-or-treat bags, candy-wrappers – that will end up in a landfill. This Halloween, why not ditch the disposables, conjure up your creativity and add a little green to this typically black-and-orange holiday?
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Top Tips
• Choose your decorations wisely.
Let’s face it. We want to take advantage of the only time of the year we can actually use ghosts and goblins as décor (without seeming crazy). Instead of purchasing new plastic decorations, however, try either buying them used or renting them. Or reusing your old ones. KEEP IN MIND WE WANT TO GET AS MUCH WEAR AS POSSIBLE OUT OF ALL ITEMS.
Spend some time with your family and try making your own decorations using materials lying around your home. Try out these creative decoration ideas using old egg cartons, coat hangers and candy jars.
Choose real pumpkins for jack-o’-lanterns instead of plastic ones. The acidity of the “pumpkin guts” acts as a natural exfoliate, and you can roast the pumpkin seeds for a tasty autumn snack.
Try one of these Vegan recipes to get the most out of your Halloween pumpkin.
When choosing candles for your jack-o’-lanterns, use soy candles instead of paraffin or petroleum, which release toxic chemicals into the air when burned. Soy candles not only burn cleaner, they burn longer as well.
Go natural and use the beautiful fall leaves in your yard as decoration by putting them, along with some mini pumpkins, in a festive basket.
•Candy with a Cause.
You don’t have to go the “organic apples and raisins” route to give kids more eco-friendly treats. Choose organic candy, buy candy in bulk to avoid excess packaging and don’t forget to bring your reusable shopping bag to the store for all those goodies.
•Eco-friendly costumes.
Talk to some of your friends with children and try borrowing or swapping out costumes with each other. By reusing old Halloween costumes you are limiting the amount of waste produced, not to mention getting something “new” without spending a ton of money.
Minimize waste with homemade costumes this year. Not only will you save a little cash, you’ll rid your closet of some craft-clutter and your child will have the most original costume on the block!
Don’t forget to send your child trick-or-treating with a reusable bag. Pillowcases make great durable treat bags, and they hold way more candy!
•Throw an orange, black and…green party.
Send guests invitations by e-mail, or make it even more personal by inviting people by phone.
Forget the cheesy disposable plates, paper napkins and plastic cutlery. When it comes to the linens and dishes, opt for the real deal instead. If your party is too large for reusable items try more biodegradable and sustainable party supplies that can be composted after use.
Make your own Halloween party snacks using as many local, organic ingredients as you can. Use the leftover pumpkin from your jack-o’-lantern to try out new pie, cookie and bread recipes.
Instead of bobbing for apples and wasting a full bathtub-amount of water, make it an outdoor activity and hang apples from a branch outside.
Make sure you recycle the glass and aluminum, and compost the leftover treats after the party.
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Other Considerations
• Trick-or-Treating. Instead of driving to another location to collect treats, try walking or biking somewhere near your neighborhood.
Carry a no-battery flashlight when trick-or-treating and wear bright-colored clothing to ensure maximum visibility.
If you’re concerned about safety, check your city for locations that offer indoor trick-or-treating. Many malls and hold safe Halloween events for families.
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Benefits…
…to you
Homemade, organic snacks are much healthier than the overly sweet, full-of-preservative, store-bought treats.
Trying new recipes and crafts is a good way to spend time with your family and really get in touch with your creative side.
…to your wallet
By making your own decoration s and costumes – or reusing old ones – you can save a little extra green for the upcoming holiday season.
…to the earth
By limiting your Halloween purchases you are also limiting the amount of waste that ends up in the waste stream.
Making treats with local, organic ingredients supports sustainable farming and your local farmers.
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Further Reading
50 Fun Homemade Halloween Treats, Snacks and Appetizers
Homemade Halloween Gifts and Crafts
October 16th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Fun article! Definitely take these ideas into consideration for this Halloween!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I’m gonna forward this article to my girlfriend. I think she’s gonna like some of the ideas in this article, she’s planning a Halloween party.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
great stuff scgh! i was actually just thinking about a green halloween when i decided to check here. helpful info as always
October 16th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
great article. i really like the vegan recipes… i have tried to make some vegan crepes a while back, and they were yummy
October 16th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
do you have a list of eco-friendly fabrics or something that i can make my kids costume out of and not hurt him?
October 19th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
HAVE AN “EEK-O-FRIENDLY” HALLOWEEN!
Back in the day, Halloween was different. It was a time to create, be imaginative, and it was a low-budget holiday. I still remember the countless decorations and costumes that were made out of old sheets and cardboard, not bought. The treats were homemade and trick or treating was done on foot. We used old pillowcases as candy bags! Back then, Halloween was green and it didn’t even phase us. It was fun. Now, almost $6 billion a year is spent on costumes, candy, decor and other accessories, most of which are made from unhealthy, unsustainable materials, by people who may not be paid living wages or treated fairly. Most of the stuff – what isn’t consumed – winds up in landfills. It is time to get back to basics – having good clean fun!
Environmentally minded businesses are increasingly finding one another to join together and strengthen the message. GreenHalloween is a non-profit, grassroots initiative striving to create healthier, eco-friendlier holidays – starting with Halloween. The mother and daughter team has come up with 25 Green Halloween tips to help with planning and reducing the cleanup. Here are some of their tips (to read all of their great tips and ideas, go to http://www.greenhalloween.org):
• Apply the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to all of your holiday choices: costumes, décor, goodies, etc. Of the 3 R’s, reducing is the best for the Earth, our wallets and, in regard to food, our waistlines. Rent, borrow, make or acquire used, when possible, to avoid buying new, especially disposables.
• Consider your costumes. The truth is, many store-bought costumes and accessories contain toxic chemicals that not only are a potential hazard to your child, but also to the environment and the people who helped to make them. Choose fabrics such as cotton, wool and silk or make costumes yourself from materials you know to be safe.
• Trim your trick-or-treats. Hand out less ________ (fill in the blank). Preferably your goodies of choice are healthy and/or Earth-friendly, but even if they’re not, handing out just one (rather than the conventional handful) of something is better for kids, better for the planet and better for your bank account.
• Choose eek-o-décor. Say ‘no’ to disposables and instead, re-use or re-purpose items you already own. Look also for items from nature and don’t forget to decorate with food (consumable décor). If you must use disposables, look for products that are reusable and recyclable items like Kids Konserve Party Pak.
• Instead of buying a goodie bag use your Kids Konserve Reusable Lunch Sack or Kids Konserve Drawstring Bag.
• Make your own face paints – the recipe can be found in the book, Celebrate Green!
• Invitations – use e-invitations or make your own from reused, recycled or tree-free sources.
• Start small and build your confidence. Start simply by having (and using) a recycle bin at your party or by going bottled water-free. You can green up each of your next celebrations a little bit at a time until celebrating green-style becomes old hat. Small things add up to big things.
• Don’t drive to trick or treat. Encourage your neighbors to go green and then go door-to-door near you. It’s good for you and the planet and builds community.
Kids Konserve wishes you all a safe, fun, and eek-o friendly Halloween!
October 20th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I really like the idea of making Halloween decorations. It’s a good way to spend time together with family, and kids really love it.
October 20th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Pillowcases as trick-or-treat bags is a great idea. More candy for the kids! Also, I’m definitely going to give away “Endangered Species Candy” this year so the kids can learn a little while satisfying their little sweet-teeth.
October 20th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
These are some great ideas. Hopefully you guys will have some green tips for the upcoming holidays as well. Great site!
October 20th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Making your own costumes is a great idea but it’s a little difficult when your child only wants to be a character from the latest “GI Joe” movie. Used is probably more practical for a lot of parents.
October 20th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
$4.75 Billion on Halloween this year! That’s a lot of money on a bunch of crap that people only put out for about 3 weeks. Aren’t we in a recession people!?!? Thanks for the insightful article.
October 20th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Wonderful ideas that I will be using this year for my kid’s Halloween party! Thanks for the article.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Halloween is so artificial nowadays. at least by making it green it does some good to the environment
October 21st, 2009 at 5:29 pm
I think Im gonna try out some of the organic snack recipes instead of handing out fatty candies.
October 22nd, 2009 at 11:11 pm
This is an awesome article! This really helps me understand how I can extend my eco-friendly lifestyle to my kids’ Halloween parties. Thanks.
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:51 pm
My family and I, whenever we carve pumpkins, I’ll take the pumpkin guts and roast the seeds with a variety of spices. Sooo goood.
October 26th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
GREAT INFO ILL BE SURE TO USE THESE TIPS WITH MY KIDS
October 28th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
It’s almost Halloween! Can’t wait to be green in Halloween.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:55 am
Good night, Did you have a happy halloween? !
November 6th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I had an fantabulous halloween. For the trick or treaters, I gave them homemade caramel apples which they seemed to enjoy. We had a great time carving real pumpkins as well.