Happy (Sustainable) Halloween!

Happy (Sustainable) Halloween!!

Every year starting in late September and early October the pumpkins find their way back to the store and the spooky and fall decorations come out. I personally love this time of year!!  I love seeing the decorations and the kids (and big kids) in their costumes. It is fun seeing how inventive people are with props and make-up. And for us in Florida, it is the only real sign of a  change in season!! One thing that I do not enjoy is after it is all over, the garbage left by the curb to go to the landfill. When I was little, my mother made all of our costumes and decorations and they could all be repurposed after. My princess dress and astronauts costume were also a nightgown  and pajamas (since I was obviously going to be too tired after a night of trick or treating and candy to put my real pajamas on), my cat costume was a leotard for gymnastics. Our zombie make up was homemade and our costumes were my dad’s old clothes that were about to be thrown a way. She also made our decorations. We had a very friendly life sized skeleton (he smiled all the time!) named Mr. Rickety Rack that she made from a pattern and he was a stuffed with newspapers that we recycled when it was time for Mr. Rickety Rack to be stored. It is very easy to decorate with materials that are purchased from the store and disposed of after the holiday, but here are a few fun ideas to have a fun, decorative and sustainable Halloween!!

· Decorate with items that are easy to compost like pumpkins, gourds, leaves, etc. and buy from your local farm

· Re-use decorations from year to year like Mr. Rickety Rack, the scarecrow made from old clothes and stuffing, or old pillow cases for ghosts

· Make decorations from recyclable items, like egg cartons bats and plastic bottle spiders

· Go to thrift stores to get extra pieces for your costumes and decorations and donate them afterwards if you don't think you will use them again.

· If having a party avoid waste by using biodegradable or re-usable cups, plates, and cutlery.

· Use household items for trick-or-treat bags like pillow cases, re-usable shopping bags, or sand buckets.

We would love to hear your suggestions and what you did for a sustainable Halloween! 5 points will be awarded to the most inventive sustainable Halloween idea!

Homemade decorations using sheets for ghosts, a crocheted skeleton with organs,

 Water bottle pumpkins, ghosts made from old sheets, a crocheted skeleton, and pumpkins from a local market