Green Ghouls and Eco Friendly Frights: Sustainable Halloween Celebrations.
Whilst I’ll be over here in my favourite witchy dress (I have a wardrobe full of them), making my ancestors altar and burning dragons blood (a type of powerful incense) and collecting pine cones, my kids require the kind of Halloween celebration that can only be described as significantly more commercial.
Whilst it’s hard to be entirely sustainable in the face of mass Halloween consumerism, there are things you can do for celebrations to stay as green as possible.
Costumes
I always try to make homemade costumes from things we already have. One year I fashioned a white shirt into a full Penny Wise costume… and we tore up some old clothes for a zombie. On the rare occasion I have bought a shop costume, I always ensure that it gets passed on to a younger friend to be used again. However, shop bought costumes really are a last resort. They are always made from non sustainable fabric, and I’m pretty sure that despite what the labels say, plastic masks near faces and noses cant be good for you.
Decorations
There are amazing spooky decorations we can make, using the nature around us. I like to string up pine cones and love using gourds and pumpkins to decorate. They can be made into some thing tasty after the event..
However, the kids do enjoy a more explicitly Halloween decorations, so in this case, if I have to buy anything new, I buy paper. Paper banners and bunting that can biodegrade. Or you can make your own banners from fabric scraps on a sewing machine. Get creative and make things out of waste. If you have cardboard in the recycling, cut into silhouettes of ghosts and creepy things and stick in windows.
If you have to buy new, make sure you take care of what you buy. Pack them away and use them year after year. There’s something traditional about bringing out the same decorations year after year. It brings such a nostalgia.
Food
If you’re hosting a party.. focus on food that is simple, local and homemade. I love a big chilli cooked in one pot at a party. Throw some spuds in the oven.. and voila.. this can be done relatively easily and with limited plastic. I would advise staying away from plastic covered platters bought in super markets, There’s always far too much packaging for the food.
Or ask your guests to bring something.. a salad, a desert. With everyone bringing one item, they can focus on the thing they’re bringing.. Explain to guests that being sustainable is important to you and why in the invitation and most people will understand. And maybe learn something too.
Its important to feel ok about changing something. We don’t have to continue doing the same wrong thing we’ve done for decades.. announce it proudly with intention. Make a statement.. “This is how I do things now.”
This quote by Louise Hay is my mantra…
“The point of power is always in the present moment”.
We can change what ever we want. We just have to decide now.
Trick or treating
If you’re headed out for trick or treating.. I recommend staying as local as possible rather than driving. Maybe your community is great at making a fuss around Halloween (ours is incredible).. If not, maybe you could ask neighbours who would welcome trick or treaters..
Buying sweets to give out as treats can be tricky, because many sweets today are packaged in plastic.. However, a basic google search of sustainable sweets will throw us some incredible businesses selling sweets wrapped in plant based, degradable packaging.
The clean up
Try to use the insides of the pumpkins your carve, or any decorative gourds. Pop on to Pinterest for some inspiration for festive recipes. Compost your pumpkins rather than throwing in the bin.
Make sure you look after anything new you’ve bought and put it away safe for next year.
The main takeaways are this
1 – always try to use what you already have..
2 – if you buy new, ensure that items are made from biodegradable materials or are high enough quality to last for years to come.
