18 Oct How to enjoy a green Halloween
“There is magic in the night when pumpkins glow by moonlight”
Whether you love it or hate it Halloween comes around all the same. One of our top sellers for Halloween is always Dandies Vegan Marshmallows, in all their wonderful flavours but most of all is pumpkin. These really are the perfect guilt free treat to add to hot chocolate by the bonfire, pop into Halloween trick & treaters bags, or include in any seasonal baking you may do at home. Have a read of last year’s blog which provided a recipe for using Dandies to create ghosts.
10 Green Halloween Tips
Halloween can be a lot of fun, especially if you have children in your life, but like Bonfire Night with its associated fireworks, there can also be a lot of waste produced by Halloween that isn’t eco-friendly.
I don’t know about you, but I really appreciate tips on how to green up my celebrations, so I wanted to share these 10 Green Tips for Halloween sourced from The World Wildlife Federation (WWF)
Decorations
Reuse instead of buying materials for decorations, gather supplies, arts and crafts throughout the year.
Examples include:
– Turn stockings with runs into spider-webbing
– Paint foam peanuts (packing materials) and turn them into worms
– Clean Styrofoam and make Halloween masks
– Turn cardboard boxes into tombstones
Make other creative decorations from netting from bags of oranges, cotton balls, leaves and branches from the yard, etc
Reuse your decorations from the previous year
Costumes. Make your own!
Keep old clothes that can be used as good pieces or parts of costumes, like worn t-shirts, black pants/shorts, etc.
If necessary, shop at thrift shops, consignment stores and yard sales, instead of buying retail.
Let your kids’ imaginations run wild! Make a game of turning old clothes into costumes.
Parties
When having a party, cut down on waste by avoiding disposable cups, plates and cutlery.
Use regular dishes or buy compostable ones, and use a marker (or apply cute labels) to identify cups so party-goers can keep track of theirs. I always do this when I have multiple kids round and don’t want to give them glass. If you hosting a party and worried about breakages, we do have some biodegradable cutlery and bowls you can purchase.
Treats
– Buy locally produced foods, candies and treats.
– Look for goodies with minimal packaging and/or those made packaged in recycled materials.
– Check labels to see that chocolate and sugar are from sustainable sources.
Trick-or-Treat Bags
Use (and decorate) household items to collect sweets in. A bucket, pillowcase, any old tote bag can be decorated inexpensively at home – and reused year after year.
Pumpkins
Buy pumpkins from local farms or farmers’ markets. Better yet, grow your own – kids love to watch them grow!
Jack-o-Lanterns
Don’t throw away all the goodies from inside your pumpkin.
– Toast the seeds for tasty treats.
– Make pumpkin pie or muffins with the fruit – or compost it.
Transportation
– Trick or Treat by walking around your neighborhood instead of driving to another destination.
– Get to know your neighbours, reduce your carbon emissions and help keep the streets safe for other walkers.
Compost and Recycle
From party food to treats to pumpkins, consider composting all organic matter and recycling other items.
Reuse!
Reuse as much as you can from year to year. Instead of throwing away an old box or bag, use it to gather all your decorations and keep for next year.
Plus, you can surprise your family and friends by quickly pulling out your box and throwing an impromptu Halloween party any time of year!
If you use any of the tips or tricks mentioned, feel free to get in touch on info@goodnessgoodies.co.uk we would love to hear from you.