By Bethany Holtz - Outreach Manager
It’s spooky season which means it’s time for all things Halloween! Unfortunately, one of the scariest things about Halloween is the amount of plastic waste that accumulates. While Halloween used to consist of home-made costumes and pumpkin carving, it is now a major, mass marketed commercial ordeal. The amount of plastic that is generated from a modern Halloween is truly one of the scariest things out there. From making sure your home is decorated like a Pinterest board to picking out a new, trendy costume every year, Halloween is requiring more and more plastic.
We’ve put together a few tips to help you put some “green” back into your Halloween this year, while still partaking in all of the fun!
Candy
When we think of Halloween, one of the first things that come to mind is candy. Like most things these days, candy comes in plastic packaging. If you head to the grocery store, you will find large bags of individually packaged candy ready to hand out to neighborhood children. It’s easy to grab and even easier to pass out. While it might take a little extra effort, we have a few suggestions for candy that does not come in plastic packaging, as well as a few candy alternatives.
Candy that comes in boxes: Dots, Raisinets, Milk Duds, Nerds, Junior Mints
Candy that comes in paper: Candy Buttons, Pixie Stix
Candy that comes in compostable packaging: Alter Eco Chocolate
Clementines or Oranges with pumpkin faces drawn on them
Halloween pencils (make sure they are not the kind with plastic sleeves)
Paper coloring books
Crayons (or upcycle crayons into cool shapes like pumpkins or ghosts)
If you have leftover candy after Halloween, you can mail it to the Treats for Troops program who sends excess candy to our troops overseas.
For the traditional candy you do end up eating, look for places that collect and recycle the plastic wrappers. Loggerhead Marinelife Center hosts an Unwrap the Waves initiative that collects and recycles candy wrappers, while educating students and community members about the amount of single-use waste produced from a single holiday. You can sign up to host a collection center or see some of the collection centers already located around the U.S.
Costumes
It might not be popular anymore but homemade costumes used to be the norm a generation or two ago. The arrival of big box stores like Spirit Halloween and Halloween City has all but erased these trends. We challenge you to look at Pinterest boards or books to find costumes you can make for you or your child. Get creative and use your imagination! Look around your home for old clothes or items that can be repurposed into costumes. A cowboy hat could be an excuse to channel your inner cowboy/cowgirl or an old dress from your parents’ basement might be the reason to sport a retro look this year.
If you have children, save costumes for future years for siblings. Some costumes will go out of fashion but many will remain relevant. When your children outgrow their costumes, look for organizations like local children hospitals that collect costumes. Halloween Helpers is a nonprofit that collects gently used costumes from all 50 states and gives them to children who can’t afford them. Halloween can be an expensive holiday for struggling families and you’ll feel good about repurposing your child’s costumes rather than tossing them in the trash.
For the adults in the room who don’t have time to make a costume this year, see if your friends have any you can borrow. You might be able to ask your doctor friend for a pair of scrubs to turn into a Grey’s Anatomy character or your sports-fanatic friend for a jersey to turn into a local sports star.
Decorations
Over the last 10-20 years, Halloween décor has shifted from pumpkins, straws, and colored corn to plastic skeletons, fake headstones, and colored lights. It’s easy to want to have the scariest or most decorated house on the block but at what expense? Plastic holiday décor has a tendency to break easily, especially when outside for several seasons. Holiday décor also comes and goes with fads. Several years ago, almost every family had giant inflatables but now they are less popular. Where do you think many of those went?
Opt for “natural” Halloween décor this holiday season. Use pumpkins, colored corn, gourds and hay to make your yard look festive. These decorations can even be left out through Thanksgiving season!
Have everyone in your family carve a pumpkin and display them in your front yard. Make an event out of it by watching a Halloween movie and enjoying some family time. If you live alone, get some friends or neighbors together. Everyone loves pumpkin carving! We are hosting a sea turtle pumpkin this year. If you love sea turtles as much as us, carve your best sea turtle and submit a photo by Oct 25, 2022 for a chance to win an eco-prize pack.
You can also get creative and make some ghost leaves, witch pine cones or other craft décor items.
Parties
Whether you’re a kid or an adult, there’s no denying that a Halloween party can be the highlight of the season. Parties inherently have a lot of waste associated with them from the décor to the food. You can use many of the same decorating ideas as we mentioned in the last section. Pumpkins, hay and homemade decorations will make your party just as festive as those with store-bought décor. Get your guests in on the fun by having them carve pumpkins or make Halloween crafts that you can place around your home or venue.
Look for black and orange cloth napkins and tablecloths you might have. If you don’t have any, ask a friend or invest in some if you think you will have more Halloween parties in the future. It could be fun if they didn’t all match. These items might get messy but that can be easily solved by tossing them in the washer. Think about all of the plastic you will save by skipping on plastic tablecloths!
For your plates, cups, and utensils, use reusable goods that you can wash. We know it’s a pain but you will be helping the environment. My family invested in a set of 24 party cups and plates that we only use for parties. That way if any get broken or lost, they weren’t a family heirloom or part of our everyday kitchenware. We also saved a set of our grandparents’ old silverware that we use for parties.
Make your food part of the decorations. There are so many creative Halloween food and drink ideas from mummy hotdogs to peanut butter spider cookies. Display your food on a table for all of your guests to see and it will become part of the décor. Check out this guide for some spooky Halloween food ideas.