As much as we all love Halloween, it is one of the biggest commercial events and the second most wasteful day, following Christmas, during the whole year. Americans purchase a ton of products for the holiday such as candy, costumes and home decorations, making the industry worth almost $6 billion a year. This consumption produces an incredibly large environmental impact that is seen long after Halloween day. There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint during Halloween; here are a few tips on how to do so.
- Support a local farm by purchasing your pumpkin from a local patch. Going to the pumpkin patch is always a fun family event… just don’t forget to wear your rain boots, it can be muddy!
- Instead of purchasing a new costume, get crafty by working with materials you already have and visiting thrift shops to make one yourself. This is a great way to not only be more eco-friendly, but is also allows you to have a completely unique outfit.
- Resist purchasing candy that uses tons of packaging. Instead, try baking your own treats such as cookies or cupcakes and decorate them with orange and black frosting. Your friends will love the personalized treats!
- For those who lack baking skills or the extra time to prepare the treats, make sure to purchase organic or fair trade candies. Try purchasing slightly healthier sweet snacks such as dried fruit, fruit and nut bars, or popcorn packages.
- For all the trick-or-treaters out there, avoid purchasing a new plastic or paper bag to hold your pounds and pounds of candy. Instead, use a pillowcase (you can probably fit more candy in there anyways!) or a reusable canvas bag that you can use later on for grocery shopping.
- Whether you are taking your kids trick or treating or participating in the event yourself, make sure to walk instead of drive. Try and go to a neighborhood within walking distance to save the gas needed to drive to your destination.
- When you are trick or treating or out at night use a LED flashlight. This will help to conserve energy and protect the environment, and keep you safe at the same time.
- If you are attending a party for the holiday, refer to our post about Green Booze to choose a green beverage to drink at the event.
The holidays are a great time to loosen up on your diets and take some time off work if possible, but that doesn’t mean it’s a time to forget about how your actions are affecting the environment. Most holidays involve a lot of consumerism so it is an especially important time to consider making more sustainable decisions. Hopefully these tips will help start your holiday season off right! Stay green and enjoy your Halloween!
(Image Courtesy of orbitcast.com)