How to have a Sustainable Halloween
Halloween is my favorite holiday and I love finding fun and creative ways to make it more eco-friendly. The first thing to remember whether it’s decorating your home or getting ready to go to a Halloween party: using things you already own is the most sustainable option! But when it comes to Halloween, there are so many opportunities for thinking outside the box that can help add a little enthusiasm to living sustainably. Here are some tips to get you started on how to have a more sustainable Halloween.
Costumes
First and foremost, use Halloween as an opportunity to avoid fast fashion! Not only are costumes in stores made from cheap, essentially disposable materials, but it’s usually plastic.
Try looking in your closet to see what you have. Not only can you find a costume that fits your style this way, but it’s much more likely to be comfortable than a costume from a Halloween store. Plus, using what you have is a great way to save money. Here’s a great article about costumes you might already have hiding in your closet.
If there’s nothing in your closet for this Halloween, consider checking out a friend’s closet or even hosting a costume swap and seeing what a group of your friends has to offer. That way you can sustainably pass on old costumes to a new home that wants them and get a “new” costume for free!
And last but not least, there are always thrift stores. Shopping around them can give you tons of ideas as well as give clothing a second life. And maybe you’ll find new closet staples while you’re at it. Be sure to check out Pirate Swap at our Campus Sustainability Day on October 23rd!
If you’re using makeup or face paint (including glitter), aim for natural ingredients for both your health and the planet.
Decor
Halloween decor is probably my favorite thing about this time of year. There are so many fun and creative ways to upcycle and reuse things. Here are some examples:
If you need more inspiration, several Pinterest boards are specifically dedicated to upcycled Halloween decor!
Using natural materials for decorations like leaves, pinecones, and pine needles not only give a classic, rustic feel to your fall decor, but you can guiltlessly toss everything back outside whenever you move on to other seasonal decor. And, like so many other sustainable options, it’s free.
If you plan to have a pumpkin or jack-o-lantern this year, check out our local pumpkin patch. When carving your pumpkins, look into roasting your pumpkin seeds for a seasonal snack. Another thing to consider with pumpkins is disposal. Since they are natural plant matter, composting is your best bet. To learn more about composting while at ECU, check out this article from our August newsletter.
Events
Whether you’re planning to go on a hayride or to have a party, reducing your waste is always an essential component of having a sustainable life, Halloween included! For information and tips on reducing single-use plastic, check out our article from Plastic-Free July.
If you’re looking for sustainable events this October, be sure to keep an eye on our social media profiles! October is also Campus Sustainability Month, so we’ll be sure to share events and tips on there as well.
There are some fun local, seasonal options for fall celebrations. If you love enjoying autumn leaves, take a walk in our local arboretum for their fall landscape event! And remember that local pumpkin patch? They also offer several activities along with your pumpkins, including a corn maze, a sunflower maze, hayrides, and various concessions.
Trick-or-Treat
If you or someone close to you is planning to go out trick-or-treating, instead of buying a new bucket or bag, there are several options. Of course, there’s using an older one from previous years if that’s an option, but you can also reuse old pillowcases, and reusable or paper shopping bags. You could even decorate them to make them more seasonal and as an additional fun craft for October.
If you plan to hand out candy instead, consider candy that comes in recyclable packaging. The easiest option for this is usually candy that comes in little boxes instead of wrappers. Avoiding animal products is also a good way to reduce your environmental impact this season. here are your options for “accidentally vegan” candies you can hand out:
- Twizzlers
- Hubba Bubba Chewing Gum
- Cracker Jacks, Original Recipe
- Jolly Rancher, All Standard Flavors
- Mamba Fruit Chews
- Sour Patch Kids
- Swedish Fish
- Skittles
- Dots
- Bottle Caps
- Wonka Fun Dip
- Pixy Stix
- Blow Pop Lollipops
- Smarties
- Sweet Tarts
Halloween can be such a fun and spooky holiday, but this year let’s work together to make things less scary for the planet. Use this as an opportunity to educate friends and family about the environment and to show them that you can have just as much fun with holidays while living sustainably!