by Liz
Halloween is probably my favorite holiday. I spend months thinking of my costume and getting it together. Last year I was Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space. This year I am dressing up for the Night of Neon which raises money for the Christie Fund which helps people with cancer. If you would like to donate to our team, the link is here!
Roberta Bondar and Dolly Parton (most of the costumes were made by things we already had)
Ok now that I have self promoted let’s get down to the nitty gritty; Green Halloween! Halloween is awesome so why don’t we make it even more awesome by making it good on the environment too!
The most important is the costume! It is very easy to buy a costume at a store or online. Granted some of them are funny and creative but there is a problem with almost all of them. The problem is that they are often used out of plastics that cannot be broken down easily. So what I suggest is you make your own costume. Old clothes, materials from around the house, natural makeups and I bet you can make an amazing costume that will really impress coworkers or friends or other trick or treaters!
As far as treats go, try to get treats with minimal packaging and natural flavors. Or go above and beyond and join the Reverse Trick or Treat movement! Global Exchange has created this fantastic idea where as kids are out trick or treating they also bring along fair trade chocolate with an explanation card and give it to the person handing out candy at each house. You can get these kits here or at your local fair trade store.
Buddy Holly and Lady Gaga (all materials from around the house!)
Other tips for a green Halloween:
- Use reusable bags to get candy with. My favorite is actually pillow cases because they are more sturdy and can collect the optimal amount of candy and then can just be washed after!
- Reuse your Halloween decorations year after year.
- Use candles (beeswax or soya) to set the mood and save some energy.
- Use wind up flashlights while trick or treating.
- Head on over to www.greenhalloween.org for more tips and ideas to make a truly green Halloween!
