Halloween is fast approaching! While everyone is looking forward to donning their spookiest costumes and ringing doorbells for tasty treats…please pause and think about how you can lower some of your contribution to holiday trash in the landfill.
But fear not (until the Halloween celebration calls for it) – we’ve got some tips on how you can enjoy a low waste Halloween.
It’s new to you!
Unless you’re the person who doesn’t mind being the same thing for Halloween every year, one of the biggest downsides of this holiday is that you buy a costume that you are only going to wear once before discarding. But since we want to be mindful of what we are sending to the landfill – thrifting for a costume is the best way to not only save money, but to give someone’s costume from last year a new life!
There are several ways you can find a second-hand costume:
- At one of the many thrift stores in Lenawee County
- Online through social media marketplaces, auction sites, or thrift sites
- Throw a costume swap party within your community
- Share with friends or family
And don’t forget that once Halloween is over, you should donate your costume back to one of the thrift stores or sell it online! Continue to give that garb a long life!
Don’t underestimate DIY
There’s a social media trend that’s gone around for the last few years of people dressing up as ghosts in bedsheets and posing for photo shoots. The days are long gone when that was a regular Halloween staple, but do-it-yourself costumes are still a great way to enjoy the fun while not breaking your budget and not adding to the holiday’s waste.
There are possibilities for those who want to do very little effort or those who want something elaborate. You can grab things from your closet and style yourself like your favorite character or celebrity to make it easy. Or, you can use cardboard, duct tape, and a dream to build yourself something bigger.
If you’re creativity is tapped – Google and Pinterest will give you plenty ideas on what you can make in the comfort of your own home.
Halloween Décor
Want to put out some festive and spooky decorations but not be wasteful? We’ve got you!
- Pumpkins are obviously a natural Halloween decoration, weather carved or not. Use the insides for yummy treats and don’t forget to compost your pumpkin when the season is over!
- Draw scary faces on empty milk jugs with a marker and put fairy lights inside to illuminate.
- Grab cardboard from your shipping boxes and toilet paper/paper towel rolls and some coloring items to create some spooky creatures to hang from your trees. You get craft time and decorations! The best of both worlds.
- Cut black spiders out of construction paper and put them on your existing décor.
If you do buy new décor from the store for your home, make sure to also buy a storage bin so you can reuse them year after year, just like you do with your Christmas decorations!
Trick-or-Treating
Finally, on the day of the big candy collection extravaganza – try to avoid buying a new Halloween bag or bucket every year for trick-or-treating. Here are some alternatives:
- A canvas tote that can be reused for other things, such as groceries or books, the rest of the year. Or, if you want a holiday themed one, you can just pack it away for next season and use it indefinitely to collect your Halloween candy.
- The old classic – a pillowcase! One benefit is that it can hold a lot more candy than your average Halloween bucket.
- A basket – easy to carry, easy to reuse as something else after Halloween. It’s a win-win!
If you do end up buying something from the seasonal section at your local store, just remember that you do not have to throw it in the landfill. Once you’ve consumed your Halloween candy, store it for next year, even if just for decorations or crafts.
Most candy wrappers can’t be tossed in the recycling bin, but you can look online for plenty of craft ideas. There are so many creative people who have made things like purses and belts from their candy wrappings.
With a little bit of research and some elbow grease, you can help make this Halloween season both fun and eco-friendly!