Go Green for Halloween!
Make Your own Decorations
Homemade decorations provide an excellent activity, conversation piece, and can be around to make memories for years to come. DIY decorations work especially well in households with children.
Decorate Using Organic Materials
The best way to practice sustainability is by decorating with all natural materials. Halloween is one of the best times to do this, with a wide variety of options including pumpkins, gourds, hay bales, and apples. Decorations such as these will last throughout the Fall season, providing décor far beyond October 31st.
Reuse and Save all Decorations for Years to Come
Don’t throw decorations out when Halloween ends! Be sure to store them and use them in future years. If storage isn’t an option, consider donating or selling online.
Buy Eco-Friendly Halloween Candy
Sometimes buying from the store is unavoidable. When purchasing candy for trick or treaters, be on the lookout for local, fair trade, organic, and vegan options. Options such as these have a lower environmental impact than traditional candy.
Donate Excess Candy
Leftover Halloween candy is easy to throw away and is often wasted. Ensure this doesn’t happen by donating any extra candy to local schools or shelters.
Host a Costume Swap
Not sure what to dress up as? Get together with friends and have everyone bring previously used costumes. This will give everyone the option to reuse while still having the opportunity to wear something new. After the swap, donate any unwanted pieces to a thrift store or post for sale online.
Use Candles as an Electricity Free Lighting Source
When choosing light sources in October, candles can provide for excellent, eco-friendly mood lighting, and you might find that you prefer the low light throughout the remainder of the year.
Thrift for Decorations and Costumes
Rather than buying new, go to local thrift stores and see what kind of decorations and costume pieces you can find.
Create Homemade Treats Instead of Buying
When planning parties or sweets for friends, consider creating homemade items instead of buying plastic wrapped store items. This provides the option to be creative and have fun. Possible treats include candy apples, trail mix, cookies, and more.
Use Jack-o-Lantern Scraps for Cooking
After making the traditional Jack-O-Lantern, be sure to save seeds and guts from the pumpkin. Seeds can be roasted to provide a healthy seasonal snack, and guts can be used to make soup, pasta, pies, and more! If you aren’t interested in the cooking aspect, consider composting the pumpkin and saving seeds for planting your own pumpkin patch.
Use Eco-Friendly Face Paint, Makeup, and Glitter
When shopping for makeup and similar products, be sure to find the most eco-friendly, reusable product. Single use pallets and items that won’t be used throughout the year are better to avoid.
Invest in TerraCycling to Recycle Candy Wrappers
TerraCycle is a U.S. based company that allows consumers to recycle a variety of materials that are not taken by standard recycling companies. Included in this is candy wrappers. Consider purchasing a TerraCycle kit on your own or with a group and begin your TerraCycling journey.
Dress up as a Sustainability Inspired Character
Still looking for a costume idea? Settle on something inspired by your environmentalist mindset. Costumes such as vampire energy, mother earth, sea level rise, pollution and litter are all great starting points. Be creative and start a conversation about a topic that’s important to you!
Buy Local Brews and NC Booze
Did you know we have 5 craft breweries in Pitt County and 2 right here in Greenville? Stock up on drinks for your Halloween party by purchasing local craft beers. In addition, there are over 80 locally-owned distilleries in our state and you can look for the “Proudly Produced in NC” logos on a variety of alcohol including gin, vodka, rum, whiskey, and more!
