You’ve got Halloween parties, goodies, candy, decorations, and costumes to think about. Seems overwhelming, doesn’t it? Sure it does.
Green Daily shares that the National Retail Federation says, “Halloween is the most popular consumer holiday after Christmas, with Americans spending nearly $65 per costume and spending a national total of nearly $5 billion each year for decorations, candy and costumes.”
Wow! That’s a lot of money to spend for a one-night event! So what’s the easiest thing you can do to go greener for Halloween? Cut down on your consumption. Find simple and creative ways to reuse decorations and costume elements. There’s no need to buy everything brand new when you already have great items left over from last year. (Hey, they were used only 1 time, remember?)
Costumes
Looking for the scariest costume you can possibly find? That’s easy. Try grabbing the one that was made in a Chinese sweatshop from
cheap toxic chemicals. AHHHHHH! The horror! Seriously though, most Halloween costumes only get one good use. Try searching eBay or Craigslist for Halloween costumes. I bet you’ll find something you like. Sure, it’s still a cheap piece of crap costume…but at least you’re now reusing
one instead of introducing another unnecessary costume into the world.
Got2BeGreen.com has some more great ideas on how to get
EEEK-o-friendlier Halloween costumes:
- Make them! Get the kids involved.
- Buy eco-friendly costumes.
- Trade with the neighbors and/or check out the thrift stores.
Treats and Sweets
So let’s face it, Halloween is largely about the candy for the kiddos. Unless you’re striving to be the most unpopular parent on the block, Halloween candy is a must. So what do you do? Hand out Tootsie Rolls to the 8 million trick-or-treaters and let your kids fall into a sugar coma? How about “no” to the Tootsie Rolls and “yes” to the sugar coma…so long as it’s an organic sugar coma.
Tiffany at NatureMoms.com basically has
THE rundown on all of your eco-friendlier candies and treats. Her list includes such wonderful options as
Fair Trade Gold Coins and the many
bite-sized options available from Endangered Species Chocolates.
The milk chocolate Fair Trade Gold Coins cost $5.25 per 17 piece bag and support a network of 40,000 cocoa growers in Ghana.
Green Halloween Ideas
Issue 2 | October 2009