Thursday, October 20, 2011
How To Be Green This Halloween
Halloween is just around the corner and while being eco-friendly may already be part of your daily routine, Halloween is another great opportunity to come up with creative ideas to make the celebration a greener one.
1. Host a Costume Swap - Did you know that October 8th is National Costume Swap day? Give new life to costumes that would have otherwise been worn only once and then eventually thrown away. Here is a detailed how to about how to host your own costume swap.
2. Use Eco-friendly Trick or Treat Bags - Forget the shiny plastic loot containers and get crafty with the kids. Have them make their own loot bag out of a reusable cloth bag that can be used year after year. Here is a great step by step the kids will love. If you own a sewing machine, here is a pattern to create your own treat bags out of felt.
3. Skip the Candy - Skip the candy?! Yes! Give out alternatives to sweets such as stickers, tattoos, crayons, pencils or erasers. If you still prefer sweets, how about giving out organic and/or fair trade treats. Some organic candy suggestions: Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops, Glee Gum or Surf Sweets Gummy Bear Packs (Note: Organic candy is not cheap, so if your house is a popular one on All Hallows' Eve, best to keep that in mind when deciding what to give out!)
4. Go Easy on the Decorations - Most store bought Halloween decorations are constructed out of cheap plastic materials that our landfills really don’t need. Again, get creative, all kids love making crafts. Here are some fun decoration projects that will keep the kids occupied and the results will help get your house ready for the festivities.
If you still want to buy your decorations, avoid plastic and look for decorations made from recycled and recyclable paper or those that you will keep to use over and over again and if you like to decorate with real pumpkins, buy from a local pumpkin patch. Don’t forget to compost or throw them in your green bin when they are ready to go.
5. Walk, Don't Drive - As tempting as it may be to drive to a bigger neighbourhood or one with more participating homes, stay close to home and save on gas and emissions. Take a walk around your own neighbourhood, get some fresh air and a bit of exercise while you chaperone the kids.
Think of this as “pre-exercise” to make you feel semi-OK for all the candy you will be indulging in over the next few days!
1. Host a Costume Swap - Did you know that October 8th is National Costume Swap day? Give new life to costumes that would have otherwise been worn only once and then eventually thrown away. Here is a detailed how to about how to host your own costume swap.
2. Use Eco-friendly Trick or Treat Bags - Forget the shiny plastic loot containers and get crafty with the kids. Have them make their own loot bag out of a reusable cloth bag that can be used year after year. Here is a great step by step the kids will love. If you own a sewing machine, here is a pattern to create your own treat bags out of felt.
4. Go Easy on the Decorations - Most store bought Halloween decorations are constructed out of cheap plastic materials that our landfills really don’t need. Again, get creative, all kids love making crafts. Here are some fun decoration projects that will keep the kids occupied and the results will help get your house ready for the festivities.
If you still want to buy your decorations, avoid plastic and look for decorations made from recycled and recyclable paper or those that you will keep to use over and over again and if you like to decorate with real pumpkins, buy from a local pumpkin patch. Don’t forget to compost or throw them in your green bin when they are ready to go.
5. Walk, Don't Drive - As tempting as it may be to drive to a bigger neighbourhood or one with more participating homes, stay close to home and save on gas and emissions. Take a walk around your own neighbourhood, get some fresh air and a bit of exercise while you chaperone the kids.
Think of this as “pre-exercise” to make you feel semi-OK for all the candy you will be indulging in over the next few days!
This post is part of the 2011 Greening your Halloween Blog Tour brought to us by Green Planet Parties, Green Halloween, Green Gift Guide, Surf Sweets and A Little Bit of Momsense
Labels: earth friendly halloween, eco-friendly halloween tips, green halloween, green planet parties, Nayla Natural Care
