How to have a Scarily Sustainable Halloween
Halloween is a great excuse for a party, to interact with your community and for your kids to have all sorts of fun ‘trick or treating’. With all the costumes, treats and decorations it can be tricky to be eco-friendly, but it doesn’t have to be!
Here are our fun tips to be sustainable this Halloween.
1. Surprise your local farmers with huge support
Why not treat Halloween as an opportunity to show your support to local farmers? There are loads of pumpkin farmers all around the country who grow this hardy veg and many of them will sell directly to the customer – like you – as well as to big supermarkets. Some of them will even let you go into the fields and pick your own pumpkin!
Remember, the closer the farmer is to you the smaller the carbon footprint of that vegetable is. Pick an organic pumpkin and you’ll help reduce that figure even more!
2. Spook your neighbours with sustainable Halloween decorations
You can make everything from skeletons to tombstones with a bit of cardboard, some scissors and some eco-friendly paints! Plus, when you’re done, the cardboard can be recycled or even composted. Not only is this environmentally friendly, it can provide a great family activity in the run-up to Halloween.
3. Swerve flamable, unsustainable halloween costumes
Getting sustainable with Halloween costumes is important. It doesn’t necessarily mean getting your sewing machine out, but it might mean buying second hand, upcycling clothes you already have; or even getting creative with a big cardboard box.
4. Fear the waste
One of the biggest issues with Halloween is the waste that’s created. There are thousands of wrappers from individual sweets, single-use costumes and decorations, and much, much more!
Why not do your bit to cut down on the rubbish? You could try making your own treats, or if you’re going to hand out sweets – opt for ones wrapped in paper, not plastic.
5. Use the whole pumpkin
Pumpkin carving is fun, but make sure you make the most of all the lovely goodness inside of it! There’re so many things that you can make, with loads of pumpkin recipes available on BBC good food. Some of our favourites include:
- Toasted pumpkin seeds – so easy to do and uses all the insides.
- Pumpkin soup – another simple recipe, perfect as a winter warmer.
- Pumpkin pie – who doesn’t love pumpkin pie?
- Dog treats made with pumpkin so your canine friend can get in on the festivities as well.
- You can even make a body scrub out of it.
6. Green up your Halloween party
You could theme the Halloween party to be ‘green’ but you’ll probably just end up with people coming as the Hulk, leprechauns or The Riddler. It’s probably a better idea to throw a normal Halloween party and just make sure that everything you provide is sustainable, like:
- Using biodegradable or recyclable cups and glasses
- Ensuring the food you provide is local and organic
- Using LED lights around your home to provide a spooky atmosphere
- Planning sustainable Halloween activities, like locally-grown apple bobbing, or make your own potions using bits and pieces around the garden.
