Below is a short list of potential sustainability tips for a greener halloween.
We’ve covered tips for costumes, decorations, pumpkins, treats and candies, & more.
1. Wear A Pre-Worn Costume Instead Of A New One
Instead of buying a new costume every year, it may be more sustainable to wear a pre-worn costume.
There might be several ways to do this:
– Rent A Costume
Some stores offer the option to rent out costumes instead of having to buy them.
If you choose this option though, make sure to book a costume in advance so that you don’t miss out come Halloween time.
– Buy A Secondhand Costume
You might be able to buy a secondhand costume that is in good condition either privately online, or at a local costume store.
Some op-shops may also have costumes in a reasonable condition.
– Engage In A Costume Swap
Another option to get a pre-worn costume is to engage in costume swaps each year.
You may have friends that you can swap costumes with.
Or, there may be clothing and costume swap forums and markets set up online on social media platforms, or on other platforms where fashion items and other clothing is being swapped.
2. Make Costumes Out Of Reused Materials Where Possible
It’s not always practically possible to make a costume, and reusing materials is not always possible.
However, sometimes it’s possible to make a costume out of reused materials.
As one example, if you have a young child that can get by with a simpler/more basic costume, dressing up as a ghost and reusing an old bed sheet (with holes cut in it) for one halloween may suffice.
Re-fashioning pre-used shirts, pants, pillow cases, and other items and materials may also be possible for costumes like scarecrows and other characters if parents and people are handy with DIY.
3. Reuse Decorations, & Reuse Materials For Decoration Where Possible
Instead of throwing out and buying new decorations every year, you may reuse decorations where possible for multiple years.
Additionally, it may be possible to make some of your own decorations by modifying pre-used materials and items around the house.
You may also be able to find items you can use as decorations (such as statues/figurines, objects, and other items) at secondhand stores.
4. Sustainably Buy & Dispose Of Pumpkins Where Possible
Potential sustainability tips for pumpkins at halloween might include:
– Buying natural pumpkins instead of plastic pumpkins (where possible)
– Buying local pumpkins instead of imported pumpkins (where possible)
This may help in some small way cut down on the transport footprint
– Use or dispose of pumpkins more sustainably
Simply throwing pumpkins in the general waste bin might mean that they end up in landfills, where they not only become waste, but may also release greenhouse gases like methane.
Other potentially more sustainable options for using or disposing of pumpkins might be:
Where pumpkins are carved, immediately use the pumpkin flesh, pumpkin seeds, & other suitable parts of the pumpkin for food like pumpkin pie or roasted pumpkin seeds (where safe and healthy to do so)
Compost pumpkins after use. This might involve putting them in either an at home food composter, a private compost setup, or in your compostable waste bin if your local council provides one
Using pumpkins as food for animals (where safe and healthy to do so)
Donate pumpkins to local organisations that accept them (some zoos for example might accept them)
5. Consider More Sustainable Treats & Candies, & Trick Or Treating
There might be three aspects to consider here:
1. Buying from more ethical treat and candy companies
Some of the bigger chocolate companies may for example have had sustainability concerns raised about the sourcing or manufacture of their chocolate products.
As an alternative, ethical chocolate and candy companies may have certain sustainability guarantees on their products (such as guarantees against deforestation, just as one example)
You may have to research different companies to inform yourself on the different sustainable candy options.
2. Reducing waste and packaging from treats and candies
Treats and candies can use a lot of packaging in the form of plastic and other materials.
To reduce waste, you might buy treats and candies that come with less packaging i.e. aren’t individually wrapped, or, that come with more sustainable packaging.
Another option might be to make your own treats and candies where you can do so without creating as much waste as you would buying pre-made treats and candies.
3. Minimising or eliminating the use of single use bags during trick or treating
When going trick or treating, using a reusuable bag instead of a single use one may be more sustainable
6. Minimize Waste At Halloween Parties & Events
Halloween parties and events can produce a lot of waste.
One simple way to minimize waste at a halloween party or event might be by using and washing reusuable plates, cutlery, and cups instead of single use/disposable ones.
Sources
1. Various ‘Better Meets Reality’ guides
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