Halloween is quickly creeping up on us and it’s time to start planning. It’s a good idea to start early to prevent any last minute trips to the store to buy Halloween stuff that has a high-impact on the environment and your health. The best part about Halloween is that you can use many things that you already have in your home – things that you can use to decorate, plan a party, and use as costumes. Let’s get started with my 7 favorite ways to green your Halloween.
1. Repurpose
In our new space, we have a large entry way on the main level that I wanted to decorate for Halloween. However, I didn’t want to purchase anything new – I took a look around my home for things that I could repurpose into Halloween decorations. For example: I took the large glass jars that usually hold flour and sugar in our kitchen and transformed them into apothecary jars full of scary items. The idea is to get creative and use what you already have on hand.
2. Reuse
Since Halloween is our favorite holiday we have a lot of decorations that we have been using for years. I like to find my Halloween decorations at our local thrift stores or we make them ourselves. Since these decorations are only used in October – I don’t feel the need to buy new decorations every year saving us money and saving the environment. Other ways to green your Halloween would include reusing costumes, swaping with a friend or using pieces from an old costume to make a new one.
3. Do It Yourself
A couple of years ago, the mister made a spooky picket fence and tombstones for our front yard. These were made using salvaged wood that we saved from a construction dumpster and no-VOC paint. He has also made two tombstones for our front yard – this time using a salvaged wooden palette that he found in a dumpster. Again, you want to get creative and find new uses for items that are no longer being utilized.
4. Treats
When it comes to Halloween candy – try to go organic and buying less is always better. Yummy Earth has a great selection of lollipops and gummies that fit the bill. If you are going the chocolate route, choose chocolates that are fair-trade and organic, if possible. And when it comes to candy packaging, you want to choose the candies that are minimally packaged.
5. Party Supplies
Almost every Halloween we have a party – some things that I do to keep the party as eco-friendly as possible are: using cloth tablecloths and napkins for the table, skipping the disposables and using our every day dinnerware and making the food ourselves, rather than purchasing pre-packaged items. When it comes to treats for the kiddos, we keep the goody bags minimal and try to choose the most eco-friendly items to go inside.
6. Pumpkins
Every year when we take our annual fall trip to North Carolina, we visit our favorite organic pumpkin patch to pick up pumpkins and gourds. We enjoy spending the entire day at the farm supporting the local farmer and community. The idea is to think local when it comes to picking your pumpkins, support a local farm rather than picking up the pumpkins at the big-box store. And don’t forget to bake the seeds for a yummy treat and use the pumpkin for baking when the holiday is over.
7. Bag It
There is no need to purchase a new Halloween trick or treat bucket for your child each year. I understand that your child wants the Star Wars bucket that matches their Halloween costume – believe me I have been there. If you do purchase one, it should be a one-time purchase, choose a bag that can grow with your child or use a reusable shopping bag or a pillowcase. Eben received a cool pillowcase-like Halloween bag many years ago from his Godparents – and he still uses it to this day!
What ways do you green your Halloween?
