Green Halloween - Four Tips For an Eco-Friendly Holiday
The health of the planet is on everyone's mind these days.
How can you celebrate Halloween without wasting resources, and still have a great time?Here are four tips for an eco-friendly holiday.
Think Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to minimize your consumption.
Don't buy new if you can make do with what you have already.
Take old items and give them new life.
Think about the life cycle of what you consume, and choose things that use the least energy to manufacture, process, and transport.
1.
Make Your Costume The retail costume industry is huge.
Consumers spend millions of dollars on pre-made costumes and props.
But not so long ago, everyone made their own costumes.
Some of us still do.
Start with your closets.
Dig up old hats, wigs, scarves, vests, boots, and knick knacks.
Put them together to make simple outfits that look great.
Some examples:pirate, gypsy, hippie, ghost, Roman, scarecrow.
2.
Use Reusable Trick or Treat Bags Rather than purchasing a plastic jack o lantern for candies, or a plastic bag, use a cloth bag.
You can use an old pillowcase, like we did in the "old days," or you can invest in a sturdy canvas tote bag.
They are washable and can do double duty during the rest of the year, to carry piano books, sports equipment, or lunch to school.
3.
Give Planet Friendly Treats Typical holiday sweets are individually wrapped in plastic.
They are made from traditionally grown ingredients, lots of processing, sweeteners, additives, preservatives, and colorings and flavorings.
Each of those things uses water, gas, energy, human labor, and chemicals to produce.
Peanuts, chocolate, sugar cane, and other plant products used are grown with pesticides and fertilizers which leach into our water supply, pollute our air and soil, and cause diseases.
What are the alternatives?You can choose to give organic Halloween candy, fair trade chocolate, or make your own treats, such as cookies, from organic ingredients.
You can also choose to give things like erasers, pencils, or notebooks, instead of food treats.
4.
Walk Instead of Driving Save gas, get more exercise, and reduce the wear and tear on your car by walking instead of driving.
Besides, it's a lot of fun to be crunching along under a fall night sky, wondering if that rustling you saw out of the corner of your eye was something spooky or not! If you want to think green this Halloween, use these simple tips when celebrating your holiday in eco-friendly style.
You can have your treats while not tricking the environment.
How can you celebrate Halloween without wasting resources, and still have a great time?Here are four tips for an eco-friendly holiday.
Think Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to minimize your consumption.
Don't buy new if you can make do with what you have already.
Take old items and give them new life.
Think about the life cycle of what you consume, and choose things that use the least energy to manufacture, process, and transport.
1.
Make Your Costume The retail costume industry is huge.
Consumers spend millions of dollars on pre-made costumes and props.
But not so long ago, everyone made their own costumes.
Some of us still do.
Start with your closets.
Dig up old hats, wigs, scarves, vests, boots, and knick knacks.
Put them together to make simple outfits that look great.
Some examples:pirate, gypsy, hippie, ghost, Roman, scarecrow.
2.
Use Reusable Trick or Treat Bags Rather than purchasing a plastic jack o lantern for candies, or a plastic bag, use a cloth bag.
You can use an old pillowcase, like we did in the "old days," or you can invest in a sturdy canvas tote bag.
They are washable and can do double duty during the rest of the year, to carry piano books, sports equipment, or lunch to school.
3.
Give Planet Friendly Treats Typical holiday sweets are individually wrapped in plastic.
They are made from traditionally grown ingredients, lots of processing, sweeteners, additives, preservatives, and colorings and flavorings.
Each of those things uses water, gas, energy, human labor, and chemicals to produce.
Peanuts, chocolate, sugar cane, and other plant products used are grown with pesticides and fertilizers which leach into our water supply, pollute our air and soil, and cause diseases.
What are the alternatives?You can choose to give organic Halloween candy, fair trade chocolate, or make your own treats, such as cookies, from organic ingredients.
You can also choose to give things like erasers, pencils, or notebooks, instead of food treats.
4.
Walk Instead of Driving Save gas, get more exercise, and reduce the wear and tear on your car by walking instead of driving.
Besides, it's a lot of fun to be crunching along under a fall night sky, wondering if that rustling you saw out of the corner of your eye was something spooky or not! If you want to think green this Halloween, use these simple tips when celebrating your holiday in eco-friendly style.
You can have your treats while not tricking the environment.
