Green Tips: Eco Friendly Halloween

Halloween is right around the corner, and as you decide how you would like to celebrate, we wanted to remind you not to forget about the environment! Check out our tips below for easy, cheap, and fun ways to lower your eco footprint this spooky season! 

Costumes:

• Buy a costume made from eco-friendly materials. Many store-bought costumes are often made of non-recyclable petrochemical-based plastic and synthetic fibers or contain flame-resistant chemicals. Those Halloween costumes can include one of the scariest plastics – polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – a soft plastic and known carcinogen that releases harmful toxins. Avoid these toxic Halloween costumes and opt for a green costume made of natural fabrics and materials. Some examples include hemp, linen, organic cotton, soy cashmere/silk, and wool. 
• Buy second-hand. Thrift stores are great places for costume inspiration! Consignment shops sell previously loved Halloween costumes in all sizes. Buying second hand is a fabulous way to keep clothing out of landfills and it also saves money and supports local charities, like the Salvation Army. 
• Make your own costume. Instead of buying costumes that you may never wear again, try making your own costume. See what you can put together from what you already have in your closet. Using your own clothes reduces waste and can result in super creative costumes. Read about some ideas here or here.
• Donate your Halloween costume. After you are finished with your Halloween costume, you could donate it to a charitable organization as opposed to throwing it out in the trash after only one use.

Halloween Parties:

• Green your Halloween party. Halloween parties across the U.S. generate tons of avoidable waste through plastic cutlery, cups, and plates. You could use regular plates during your party, or you could buy biodegradable ones. Another fun idea is to use candles instead of lights at your party. This will create a spooky atmosphere, as well as save electricity. Remember to always keep an eye on your candles and never leave them unattended! 

Trick or Treating:

• Green the candy giveaway. When giving out candy, use treats or candy with the least amount of packaging, or you could use the treats or candy that contain recycled packaging. You could also use eco-friendly candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters, which can be found at local organic grocery or food stores. 
• Green Trick or Treating. Stop using plastic materials to collect candy. Instead, use a reusable bag already in the house, or consider using a pillowcase while trick-or-treating. Another tip for green trick-or-treating is to walk around while trick-or-treating as opposed to driving from house to house.

Pumpkins:

• Better use of your holiday pumpkins. It’s not too late to buy pumpkins! Try utilizing your local farmer markets when picking a pumpkin this year. Instead of throwing out your pumpkin once Halloween is over, roast the seeds from your pumpkin or make pumpkin pie to create delicious food!
• Composting/Recycling. If you are going to get rid of your pumpkin after the season, don’t toss your Halloween pumpkin in the garbage – compost it!

We hope you enjoyed this week’s green tips and have a safe and happy Halloween!