Turn Your Halloween into a Hallogreen
Used under license from Shutterstock.com
The biggest, spookiest and most mischief-filled holiday of the year is approaching: Halloween. The decorations are being put up, parties are being planned, and people the world over are searching for that perfect costume. It’s a mad rush to see who can buy the best Halloween supplies, before stores remove the stock and replace it with Christmas tidings until next year. Corporations get entertained by watching you scramble like chickens with their heads cut off, and not knowing what all goes into the making of said holiday supplies, the environment could be suffering, too.
It doesn’t have to be that way, however. There are numerous ways that you can have as terrifying and fun of a Halloween as the next guy, but still keep it green. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Go Old School
It wasn’t all that long ago when costumes and decorations were in short supply. People had to use their own creativity and willpower to make their decorations and costumes. Recyclables, such as cardboard boxes, newspaper, old clothes and so forth can be used to create a variety of things, from gravestones to scarecrows. Look around your house to see what items you might be able to use to make or enhance your costume; you can even mix and match pieces from previous years, as well. You could be a simple bed-sheet ghost, a hockey-mask killer, a broomstick witch, or even a tattered-clothes zombie. The options are there, you need to simply use your imagination!
2. Give Eco-Friendly/Organic Candy
Many stores are now starting to either have organic food sections, or convert to being an entirely organic-based store. Here, you can find sweets that place little harm on the environment, and your kids’ health. Brands to keep an eye out for include: Yummy Earth, College Farm, Equal Exchange, Candy Tree, Endangered Species, Bettie Lou’s, and Pure Fun. If you’ve ever seen those candies wrapped like small gold coins, in netting-like packaging, those are also another treat to add to the list.
3. …Or No Candy At All
A lot of people feel like they have to give out something; but what they don’t realize is it doesn’t have to be candy! You can give the kids fruit, since it is both sweet and good for them. You can give them something they can use again and again, like school supplies or small toys (Playdough, Legos, etc.). If you can afford it, giving them a gift certificate, so they can to go to a movie, the museum, bowling, or some other fun activity, is also an option.
Used under license from Shutterstock.com
4. Trick-or-Treat With Reusable Bags
Rather than use the plastic bags or jack-o-lantern shaped containers, try using a reusable cloth bag. This is also another time you can teach your kids how to do things “old school”, by getting them to use an old pillow case, as well. Not only are these kind of “bags” a more environmentally friendly choice, they are also more durable, since they will be able to hold heavier loads of candy without breaking.
Also, when you go trick-or-treating, try not to use a car or other such vehicles. Instead, go walking or bring a bike with you.
5. Green Parties Are The New Black
There are numerous ways to throw a great, green Halloween party, most of which involve keeping with the “old school” tradition. Homemade decorations, of course, are always a plus. Activities you can include can range from bobbing-for-apples to a pumpkin bowling alley. You can also use your basement, garage, or other structure to create your own personal haunted house. A few bowls of eyes and brains, a couple of tape recordings, and enough crazy people in costumes to help out will surely make your party a big hit.
There are many more ways to have an eco-friendly holiday, but these tips should definitely help you to get started. If you see your friends, family or neighbors going through the painstaking process of finding the best Halloween supplies and throwing away money they can’t really afford, step in and tell them how they can turn their Halloween into a Hallogreen.
By Heidi Marshall
Additional resources:
Green Halloween
This Halloween, Think Green
A Green Halloween
Add Some Green to Your Halloween
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Greenfudge.org » Turn Your Halloween into a Hallogreen…
The biggest, spookiest and most mischief-filled holiday of the year is approaching: Halloween. The decorations are being put up, parties are being planned, and people the world over are searching for that perfect costume….
Greenfudge.org » Turn Your Halloween into a Hallogreen…
The biggest, spookiest and most mischief-filled holiday of the year is approaching: Halloween. The decorations are being put up, parties are being planned, and people the world over are searching for that perfect costume.
…