Make It Green This Halloween
By Pippa Sorley
Filed Under Arts & Culture, Green Living |
According to the National Retail Federation, annual Halloween spending has surpassed $5 billion in the United States. With the average person spending the most money on costumes, followed by candy and then decorations, it’s a holiday enjoyed by adults, kids and even pets across the country. Halloween is second only to Christmas in the decorations market. Unity Marketing found that consumption in this area has grown with people’s fascination with ghosts, the supernatural and sci-fi, often prompted by popular cable television shows. However with billions of dollars being spent on a single holiday, what is very real is the environmental impact of our often disposable festive wares.
During tight economic times, imagine the impact upon our wallets if at first we chose to buy less and then brought back our creativity and tradition with homemade alternatives to what is mass-produced for the holiday. Curbing consumption has an additional environmental impact if we make different choices in determining what we do purchase for the holiday. From vintage to responsibly produced goods, there are many choices available to the conscious consumer.
Candy is a good place to start in making more mindful decisions. As many Halloween treats are chocolates, look for products that are certified Fair Trade. Why? According to certification organization TransFair, “Fair Trade certification ensures that cocoa farmers receive a fair price for their harvest, creates direct trade links between farmer-owned cooperatives and buyers, and provides access to affordable credit. On Fair Trade farms, slave labor is strictly prohibited and farms are inspected to ensure that Fair Trade standards are being met.” In the spirit of October being Fair Trade month, let’s continue to educate our friends and neighbors! Co-op America has great resources to help spread the word on this issue. You can also order a “Fair Trade Trick or Treat Action Kit” through Global Exchange. Good choices for individually-wrapped Fair Trade chocolates for Halloween include: Sweet Earth Chocolates (skulls) and Divine Chocolate (eyeballs).
What about other goodies? Clif Bar Kids has an organic bar made with whole oats in a ‘smores flavor, complete with spooky packaging. YummyEarth Organic Fruit lollipops are sweetened with cane juice, not corn syrup. National Geographic’s The Green Guide also has an extensive list of healthier and eco-friendly treats. There’s also the idea of passing out non-edibles, like Smencils pencils made from 100% recycled newspapers. For collecting treats, go retro in using your pillowcase or reusable grocery bags also work. Chico bags can hold up to 20 pounds! Halloween is also the perfect time to add items in good condition but no longer needed by your household to your porch offerings. Why not offer quality goods to someone who may need it with all of those extra visitors to your porch on Halloween night (and save the addition to the landfill)?
When choosing costumes avoid the cheaply-made and once-worn costumes that we’re used to seeing with some creativity. Check out your local thrift store or eBay for clothing pieces that can be re-imagined or have a costume swap with friends whose children are different ages, re-using get-ups from previous years. If you’re the crafty sort, Sprig.com just ran a great article of ten homemade costumes with photos and instructions. And if you are short on time, try Sarah’s Silks, costumes made with renewable sources in monitored factories. To complete your child’s costume (or your own!) stay away from traditional makeup kits sold in specialty stores for the holiday, as they may contain hormone-disrupting paraben preservatives and phthalates. Instead, play around with adult’s cosmetics from natural products stores, or even kitchen staples like ketchup.
Decorations are a fun way to make your home an eco-friendly spot for hosting friends or passing out candy. Choose organic pumpkins and buy fewer. We tend to forget that they are a food source in addition to a decoration and that many are simply thrown out at the end of the season. Toast the pumpkin seeds from jack-o-lanterns and use others for eventual cooking and then, compost what’s left over. Squashes also make beautiful decorations until it’s time to cook them. If you’re into the traditional ghosts and ghouls, look for ways to craft spooky décor from recycled goods and things already in the house. Beautiful and kitschy vintage Halloween decorations can also be found online. Set the mood with soy or beeswax candles, or try energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs in Halloween colors.
Let your consideration of your Halloween eco-footprint also promote general mindfulness that includes safety. Environmentally-friendly reflective tape can be found online, and used on bikes, skateboards, even brooms! When your family is kept safe it is also a good reminder of our planet’s interconnectedness. Consider helping your kids to support children in other parts of the world while they are at their trick-or-treating best through a program like UNICEF’s “Make Halloween Count” youth action program.
As your excitement for Halloween grows, take one more step to share an excellent site for environmental news by sending a friend one of Grist.org’s Halloween e-cards. You can also delight in the fact that you’re saving paper and supporting a nonprofit organization.
By Lindsey Wolf, adapted from elephantjournal.com. Elephant Journal is an online resource for stories on sustainability, active citizenship, conscious consumerism and non new-agey spirituality.
Posted on October 20, 2008 |
Comments
Leave a Reply
-
Buy eCo Products
