Be Green on Halloween

Be Green on Halloween

Halloween seems to increase in popularity every year, and it can be lots of fun for kids and adults alike. The plentiful trick or treating sweets, party treats, decorations, and getting dressed up; what’s not to like?

We don’t ruin your party, but the downside to the ghoulish celebrations is that they create a lot of waste. The good news is that whether you’re out trick or treating or partying, you can still cut down on waste and recycle more.

Halloween decorations

Do you tend to go mad with buying decorations only to throw them all away after the event?

Why not try making your own decorations and getting the kids involved? Here are some great ideas from Activity Village for making your own spooky creations. Use things you already have in the house and you’re reducing waste by reusing and repurposing things that might have ended up in the bin.

You can recycle your decorations too of course. Always check the packaging for instructions. Paper and card that’s clean can be recycled, but check plastics to see if they’re recyclable. Remove strings and pins etc before you put them in the recycling.

Halloween pumpkin

It wouldn’t be Halloween without a pumpkin, but if they’re used for one night then chucked in the bin, it can be very wasteful. You can either add it to your compost bin or cook up something tasty to eat. Here are some creative recipes to try.

Halloween costumes

Many people go to town on their Halloween costumes, buy something online and then never bother wearing it again, so it ends up in the bin, or at best, crumpled up and thrown in to the back of the wardrobe never to be seen again.

Why not get creative and make costumes from old clothing or material? You can also wear an old costume again but change the accessories, hair, and makeup.

Halloween sweets and party treats

Forgo the plastic straws, anyway, they’re impossible to use when you have your vampire teeth in! If you’re giving sweets and other treats to trick or treaters, use paper bags instead of plastic. Try to avoid the use of single-use plastic cutlery and base your party around finger food instead. Cover any leftover food or put it in a reusable container (try to avoid cling film) and give it to friends and family to take home.