Halloween is scary – and not for the reasons you’re probably thinking. It’s an insanely wasteful holiday. I’m not trying to be the fun governor, but it’s true and just how wasteful is truly terrifying. It is expected that Halloween spending this year will reach $9 BILLION in the US. Scream.
This staggering amount of money will primarily be spent on Halloween costumes – made from cheap non-recyclable materials, pumpkins – which get carved and tossed, Halloween decorations – again cheap, non-recyclable plastics, and so much Halloween candy – plastic bags filled with more tiny plastic bags. Today is November 1st, and much of yesterday’s prized possessions are in the trash headed to a landfill to take up space for longer than I like to think about.
Luckily, if you are willing to put forth a teeny bit more effort, you can reduce much of the waste and unnecessary spending. I would argue it won’t hinder your fun, but add to it. Here’s how…
Pumpkins
I’m not trying to take away your pumpkins. I am only here to tell you to buy local pumpkins that don’t have to transported far distances. Secondly, make use of your pumpkins beyond just decor; toast the seeds, use the ‘meat’ for cooking, you can even make a face mask out of it! Check out this article from the Penny Hoarder on the possibilities. I plan on feeding mine to the very hungry squirrels and chipmunks that live in my backyard. The leftovers will get composted in my garden.
Decorations
This year my son demanded legit Halloween decorations specially a ‘scary bat’. Find a thrift store with a great seasonal section, and shop there. I found the Goodwill on South Whitesburg Drive has a good selection. For basically nothing, I found a light up bat ($3) and a very dia de los muertos inspired skull ($1). That is as far as I was willing to go on decor. If you want to get a bit more elaborate, check out this article from Country Living with tons of DIY Halloween decor ideas.
Costumes
There is ZERO reason you should be going to Party City or Amazon to buy a cheap, generic, costume. Don’t do it! The least wasteful alternative is to make something with items you already have. The internet is an endless source of inspiration for this! It’s also a great creativity exercise for you and any tiny humans you may have. I also think it’s way more fun.
Since I decided to dress up at 2:45pm on Halloween, I had to create something with nothing…and fast. I decided on a classic mummy. I love puns and I’m expecting. Get it? For this quick costume, I put on an all white outfit, cut a sheet into strips, tied them to my body, and used some smokey eyeshadow to create hallow-looking eyes (not that I really have to use make up to do that these days). It doesn’t get much easier.
If you cannot make (or borrow) a costume, the next best option is to buy a costume second hand. I realize it can be hard to buy second hand for a kid with a specific request. For example, my son wanted to be Iron Man. I’m not about to make that. So, a few months before Halloween I began hunting. Before long, one turned up at Goodwill. It was in great condition, and was only $2.50. For my littlest, I scooped a BB8 costume during the same shopping trip. It was still in the original packaging, never opened and was a mere $2.
Now, if you have kiddos then you’re acutely aware of their fickle nature. I anticipated a change request, so I bought a couple different options at Goodwill. When Maxwell not so unexpectedly declared, ‘I don’t want to be Iron Man!’ I was ready with suggestions. How about a teenage mutant ninja turtle? Or black panther? Teenage mutant ninja turtle won. Thankfully my nephew has a borderline obsession with the ninja turtles , so I was able to borrow the face masks and accessories.
Maxwell actually ended up wearing three costumes – none of which I purchased at a traditional retail store. He was Iron Man to a Halloween themed birthday party, Michelangelo for a Halloween party at school, and Leonardo for trick or treating. The only thing I had to buy was the Iron Man mask. Sometimes you can’t find exactly what you need – that’s just the nature of buying second hand. Overall, still a win.
Candy
Over 600 million pounds of candy will be purchased for Halloween. That is A LOT of wrappers. I will be the first to admit that I failed miserably this year. In a pinch, I bought a pack of peanut butter M&M’s and called it a day. While not the worst option, M&M’s received a big fat D according to this brand sustainability ranking. That said, the MARS company does have a plan for achieving improved sustainability, so that’s a start. Read more here.
Next year, I vow to be better. You can too. Here’s a list of 10 eco-friendly candy options to help us both out. There are obviously many other alternatives to handing out candy depending who your audience is – you can bake cookies, give out fruit (and be that mom), or opt for an eco-friend non-food treat.
I’m also going to lump candy carrying containers into this category. Please do not buy a plastic pumpkin shaped container. If you really want one of those, you can easily find a used one at the thrift store. You know what also works just as well? A reusable grocery bag or bring back some nostalgia and use a pillow case. Learn how to make this very cool one here.
So Halloween is over, we’re all coming off the sugar high, and now I’ve made you feel guilty about being wasteful. There is still a lot you can do! First, don’t just toss everything into the trash. Save your costumes to lend or donate – even the home made ones. Make use of your rotting pumpkins even if it’s just food for little critters. Finally, recycle or upcycle anything you can.
Here’s to keeping Halloween scary for the right reasons. Boo!
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