Sustainable Halloween Tips
When you think of Halloween, you probably envision candy, scary movies, and trick-or-treating, but what about sustainability? From costumes to decorations, Halloween actually provides a great opportunity to put sustainable practices into action.
Here are some things you can do to be “green” this Halloween.
- Instead of purchasing a costume, make one from used clothing (search your closet or visit a thrift store) or recycled materials.
- If you decorate with lights, use LED or solar lights.
- Use recycled materials or natural items, such as gourds and pumpkins, to decorate the home.
- Instead of shopping at a large grocery store, buy your pumpkins, squash, and other Halloween-inspired vegetables locally.
- Collect candy with a reusable bag.
- Use the meat from your jack-o’-lantern to make a pumpkin pie, and roast the seeds for snacking.
- Reuse or donate costumes and decorations next year.
- Send out party invitations electronically rather than in the mail.
- Consider throwing a "zero" waste party—everything is either used or recycled.
Remember all it takes is a little creativity to incorporate sustainable practices into holiday festivities!
Adapted and excerpted from:
“Campus Sustainability: Tips for a Green Halloween,” University of Nevada, Reno (Accessed 10/2014).
“Tips for Reducing Fall Home Maintenance and Halloween Holiday Waste,” EPA (Accessed 10/2014).
Related Sites & Articles
- Hot Topics
- Halloween Safety
- Holiday Home Safety
- Holiday Shopping
- Plants for the Holidays
- UF/IFAS Publications
- Enviroshopping: Buy Smarter
- Other Sites & Publications
- Green Holidays—Science360
- Green Your Holiday Scene—US EPA
- Save Energy and Resources this Holiday Season—CDC
