Between decorations, costumes, and parties, Halloween can be an incredibly wasteful holiday. Luckily it’s also one of the easiest holidays to give a sustainable makeover! We’ve compiled some tips and tricks below to help you make your Halloween as green as possible.
1. Reuse, shop vintage or make it yourself!
Instead of buying a premade costume, consider reusing one from last year, shopping at a vintage/secondhand store or making your costume yourself from items already in your closet. If you're not feeling that creative consider having friends over for a costume swap- organize clothing by sizes and allow your kids or friends to ‘shop’ through gently used costumes for a new look for themselves!
2. Decorate with style and function
Halloween is the second largest decorating holiday of the year but luckily most festive decorations can be found or made from natural sources. Instead of putting up non-recyclable plastic masks and skeletons, consider using natural products like pumpkins, gourds, and straw scarecrows- we guarantee you’ll still get the spooky effect! Don’t forget to compost your decorations after you finish using them!
3. Get to know your neighbors
Don’t get in the car and drive somewhere to trick or treat; save the gas and go door to door the old fashioned way. If you're in a rural enough area that this isn't possible, consider throwing a neighborhood party. If you do throw a party, make sure it’s green by using online invites instead of paper as well as glassware and washable utensils. Serve local food and make sure everyone knows where the recycling bin is!
4. Go reusable
Instead of buying a plastic container to collect candy, consider going old school with a pillowcase, reusable bucket or canvas bag. Or utilize one of your reusable shopping bags!
5. Purchase locally grown pumpkins
Did you know that 90% of the pumpkins grown in the United States are grown in Illinois? Make sure you get your pumpkin from a local farmer and with the shortage of pumpkin this year, be sure to save the innards for roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin muffins or pumpkin pie!