Related Articles
How does the environment create public health issues ?
|
How to reduce the carbon you generate
|
How does tree planting help tackle the climate crisis ?
|
How to have a green Halloween
It's that time of year again when ghosts and ghouls come out too play. Halloween is the 2nd most expensive occasion after Christmas, however it does have a significant environmental impact with 1000's of tonnes of waste generated every year. So how can you have a more eco and greener Halloween ? Here's a few ideas:
Pumpkins:
Many of us get our pumpkins from the big supermarkets but sadly these can actually be bad for the environment as they are transported many miles to get to that supermarket shelf. However there are alternatives such as local markets and local farms. Many farms now do pumpkin picking events which are not only great fun where all the family can get involved, but also to help support a local business.
Once you have your amazing pumpkin you can reduce your waste by considering tasty recipes for the innards such as pumpkin pie or pumpkin soup. Even after Halloween is over you can continue to help the environment. Instead of just dumping your pumpkin in the bin why not leave it outside for your local wildlife, many animals may struggle for food around this time of year and a pumpkin is a tasty treat.
Candles:
Cheap candles give off toxins so why not try something made from organic materials. Soy or Coconut make excellent alternatives, they smell great and create a more
relaxed environment. For an even more eco friendly option solar powered lights now come in all shapes and sizes, they're environmentally friendly and can be used year after year.
Costumes:
Every year millions of last-year's Halloween costumes are thrown out heading straight for landfill. But there are ways to avoid this trend, such as hitting the artistic button and creating your own from old clothing or household materials. Pinterest is a great source for inspiration for DIY Halloween costumes, but if you're not the creative type there are still other alternatives. There are many websites and apps that allow you to buy and sell used clothes in great condition such as Depop, Spock, Preloved and even Facebook. Why not save some money this year by buying your costumes from one of these sites ? You could even make a profit by using them to sell your old costumes!
Trick or Treat bags & buckets:
Single use bags and buckets are often bought for Halloween and then discarded, however there are alternatives. An old bag or pillow case decorated with a home-made spooky theme could just as easily be utilised and then reused when needed next year.
Sweets:
Consider fair-trade and organic alternatives. If you want to get creative in the kitchen, biscuits and toffee and all manor of treats can be cooked up with a little time and effort. You can even get creative by making your own wrapping for your goodies, cutting down on packaging materials.
Spooky décor:
Often bought and discarded after Halloween, there is a more creative and enjoyable option and kids love it. Creating your own spooky decorations using household materials is a great family activity. Cutting out images of ghosts and ghouls, drawing Halloween pictures, creating Halloween lanterns and making spiders from straws are just some of the great idea you can find online. Get involved as a family, get creative, and for inspiration look around sites like Pinterest.
Pumpkins:
Many of us get our pumpkins from the big supermarkets but sadly these can actually be bad for the environment as they are transported many miles to get to that supermarket shelf. However there are alternatives such as local markets and local farms. Many farms now do pumpkin picking events which are not only great fun where all the family can get involved, but also to help support a local business.
Once you have your amazing pumpkin you can reduce your waste by considering tasty recipes for the innards such as pumpkin pie or pumpkin soup. Even after Halloween is over you can continue to help the environment. Instead of just dumping your pumpkin in the bin why not leave it outside for your local wildlife, many animals may struggle for food around this time of year and a pumpkin is a tasty treat.
Candles:
Cheap candles give off toxins so why not try something made from organic materials. Soy or Coconut make excellent alternatives, they smell great and create a more
relaxed environment. For an even more eco friendly option solar powered lights now come in all shapes and sizes, they're environmentally friendly and can be used year after year.
Costumes:
Every year millions of last-year's Halloween costumes are thrown out heading straight for landfill. But there are ways to avoid this trend, such as hitting the artistic button and creating your own from old clothing or household materials. Pinterest is a great source for inspiration for DIY Halloween costumes, but if you're not the creative type there are still other alternatives. There are many websites and apps that allow you to buy and sell used clothes in great condition such as Depop, Spock, Preloved and even Facebook. Why not save some money this year by buying your costumes from one of these sites ? You could even make a profit by using them to sell your old costumes!
Trick or Treat bags & buckets:
Single use bags and buckets are often bought for Halloween and then discarded, however there are alternatives. An old bag or pillow case decorated with a home-made spooky theme could just as easily be utilised and then reused when needed next year.
Sweets:
Consider fair-trade and organic alternatives. If you want to get creative in the kitchen, biscuits and toffee and all manor of treats can be cooked up with a little time and effort. You can even get creative by making your own wrapping for your goodies, cutting down on packaging materials.
Spooky décor:
Often bought and discarded after Halloween, there is a more creative and enjoyable option and kids love it. Creating your own spooky decorations using household materials is a great family activity. Cutting out images of ghosts and ghouls, drawing Halloween pictures, creating Halloween lanterns and making spiders from straws are just some of the great idea you can find online. Get involved as a family, get creative, and for inspiration look around sites like Pinterest.
These are just some of our ideas for having a greener Halloween, many of which can turn into great fun family activities. From everyone at Become Carbon Negative, wishing you all a safe and happy spook filled Halloween.
