Halloween is a holiday that many kids and adults look forward to every year because of the festive activities, fun costumes, and delicious treats. But like most holidays we celebrate, Halloween celebrations are often filled with unhealthy foods, landfill waste, and familiar habits that take their toll on the environment.
To make your Halloween holiday more natural and eco-friendly this year, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
1. Use Solar-Powered Lights
Instead of buying long strands of festive lights that require extra electricity, consider lighting your home and walkways with solar-powered lamps instead. These types of lamps provide a beautiful look leading up to any home and will ensure that trick-or-treaters can safely make their way to your front door. Better yet, they can be used all year long and will save you money on electric costs over time.
2. Enjoy Organic Treats
Most Halloween candy is packed with preservatives, artificial colors, and questionable ingredients. This year, don’t subject the kids in your neighborhood to that junk! Choose organic candy choices that aren’t made with chemicals or GMOs to help promote a healthier Halloween in your neighborhood. You can also opt for candy alternatives to hand out, such as popcorn, granola bars, baked chips, pretzels, or raisins. Non-food options, such as little cans of Play-Doh, and stickers, are also fun to hand out if you don’t want to run the risk of food allergies.
3. Make Your Own Decorations
Halloween decorations sold in stores are often made with cheap throw-away plastic that breaks easily and is designed for short-term use. However, you can create fun craft time with your kids by making your own Halloween decorations using recyclable items and reusable things you already have around the house. Examples include ghosts made from cheesecloths or sheets, a spooky tarantula made from trash bags, and spiderwebs made from yarn.
4. Swap and Donate Costumes
Seasonal Halloween stores are in every strip mall around this time of year, but you can skip the cost and waste associated with these costumes by hosting a costume swap. Get together with your neighbors or other community group to swap costumes that you have left over from previous years or that no longer fit your kids. At the end of the Halloween, you can donate your costumes to a second-hand store, local theater group, or school for their future plays.
5. Go Trick-or-Treating on Foot
Another way to reduce your carbon footprint this Halloween is to leave the car at home and go trick-or-treating with your kids on foot. This is a great way to get some exercise and help offset any candy that may be eaten soon. For adults-only Halloween parties, take public transportation, if possible, for your own safety and to have a greener Halloween.
6. Support Local Farms
October is also a wonderful time of the year to show your support for local farms by buying pumpkins, apples, and other fall produce from markets and farms in your area. Decorate your home with locally grown pumpkins and gourds and try new recipes with in-season fruits and vegetables that are healthy and perfect for fall.
How are you planning to celebrate Halloween this year? Let us know in the comment section below!