3 Ways to Stay Sustainable this Halloween
The most horrifying holiday of all is here! It’s time to dust off the old witch hat and enjoy an evening of terrifying treats, cackling cocktails, horrendously bad horror movies, or whatever scratches that scary itch.
While we’re all getting in the spooky spirit, it’s important to remember while Halloween is a lot of fun, it’s still a commercial holiday. This means that every year, millions are spent on sweets, costumes, pumpkins and more, with very little mind paid to the environmental impact of these purchases and where they end up after the fun is done.
We’ve put together a couple of ways that you can cut down on the environmental costs of your Halloween shopping and make the most out of anything left over, letting you enjoy your night of frights guilt-free!
Reusing your pumpkin
A simple walk around your neighbourhood after Halloween will make it clear just how many pumpkins are either swiftly disposed of after the 31st of October, or are simply left out to rot. But it doesn’t have to be this way!
Pumpkins are perfect for use in a variety of delicious dishes. Whether you want to brew up a hearty soup made with roasted pumpkin puree or an outstanding autumnal risotto using cubes of cooked pumpkin flesh, you’re sure to be impressed by how versatile this vibrant vegetable can be. You can even scoop out the seeds inside and roast them for a healthy snack packed with antioxidants.
One of the best ways to put your pumpkin carcass to good use is to drop it in your compost bin, letting it become great fuel for growing out your garden. You can also ensure it gets used well by getting it in your food bin in a compostable bag, where it can then be picked up by your local council and turned into compost.
Shop sustainably
What’s better than a pumpkin that you know will be used well after being carved out and turned into a lantern? A pumpkin that’s come from a local, ethical source that uses best farming practices to create a more sustainable product.
Shopping at local farmer markets is the best to support your local community and get your money to folks who prioritise sustainability and cruelty-free farming. The right market can also be great for finding all of your favourite Halloween treats and sweets sold in large quantities and packaged in reusable containers!
A staggering number of sweets and snacks are supplied in individual disposable wrappers that contribute massively to landfill waste. Grab yourself some special Halloween sweet mixes that come in large tubs that you can use for storage and transportation and cut down on the waste you leave behind after spooky season has come to an end.
Donate your costumes
If you’ve got yourself a scary soiree lined up, then you’re going to need a new costume. We all have that one storage box or wardrobe dedicated to discarded costumes from Halloween’s past, and if you don’t it’s likely because they end up in the bin!
It’s time to make better use of our outdated Halloween guises by getting them out of storage and into the hands of people who will use them. Your local community is rife with people looking to skip out on forking out hard-earned funds on fancy dresses and fake blood that will only get used once before getting trashed.
Whether you head down to your nearest charity shop and donate your old outfits or arrange for a spooky swap with your friends and family to get even more old costumes in rotation, you will feel a lot better about your impact on the environment than if you had simply thrown them away.
