Green Your Halloween

Ghosts and goblins, candy and costumes - Halloween is right around the corner! While this time of year is filled with fun festivities, many traditions can translate into lots of waste and carbon emissions. However, there are ways to reduce the impact of your creepy celebrations.

Here are some tips on how to have an eek-o-friendly Halloween.

Trick or Treat

Use reusable trick or treat bags. Instead of carrying around old plastic bags, opt for using reusable cloth shopping bags or decorating an old pillowcase to hold all your goodies!

Pumpkins

Halloween season creates a demand for 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkin per year - support farmers and help the environment by buying local organic pumpkins! Instead of dumping an old pumpkin in the landfill, break down leftover pieces for wonderful compost. You can also help reduce food waste by making the most of your pumpkin by cooking the seeds, making a pie, or using the flesh for pumpkin muffins or bread! The Carolina Tiger Rescue (http://carolinatigerrescue.org/) in Pittsboro will accept whole pumpkins—not ones that have been carved or painted to make tiger toys. They stuff the pumpkins with “enrichments” and let the tigers go to town.

Costumes

Store-bought Halloween costumes made from synthetic fibers that are only used for one night will last for decades as clothing waste. Wasteful and usually expensive, store-bought costumes can also contain levels of toxic chemicals that have been linked to several harmful health effects. Green your costumes with some simple DIY tips and help reduce the 41 million pounds of clothing waste generated each Halloween:

* Look in your very own closet for costume inspiration. Instead of buying cheap mass-produced non-recyclable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) costumes, get creative and make your own from old clothes. Your closet can offer endless combos of fun get-ups, ranging from rock stars to scarecrows to the living dead.

* Go to a local thrift store and see if anything jumps out at you. Look for cool accessories and fun pieces like a witch’s broom or groovy hat! We have great local thrift, and your purchases are a real treat to local charities such as the PTA Thrift stores (http://ptathriftshop.org/home.shtml), Club Nova in Carrboro (https://clubnova.org/thrift-shop/), and Orange Congregations in Mission in Hillsborough (http://www.ocimnc.org/thriftshop.php)

* Instead of purchasing overpriced plastic and rubber masks, use makeup and face paint that you may already have around the house.

* No need to buy mixtures of nasty chemicals to use on your zombie costume - check out this link on how to make non-toxic (and tasty) fake blood: http://chemistry.about.com/od/fakebloodrecipes/a/Edible-Fake-Blood-Recipes.htm

* Giant pieces of cardboard can be your best friend! They can be a blank canvas for any creative idea. Add some accessories and you’ll have a spook-tacular costume, like this adorable trash can and recycling bin combo or milk and cookies. Visit this website for more ideas and instructions: https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliegerstein/easy-lazy-cardboard-halloween-costumes?utm_term=.ctNBMKejJ#.kq7jRb5vV

* Organize a costume swap with your friends - it’s cheap, easy, and fun!

* If you’re having a party, give out prices for the best (and worst) homemade costumes to encourage people to get crafty.

* If you’re still stuck for ideas, head back to the basics: a simple bed-sheet still makes for a classic ghost or Greek god/goddess!

* Recycle your old/unused costumes instead of trashing them after the end of the festivities at the Scrap Exchange in Durham. They will gladly accept and reuse your outfits. More fun for the future!

Halloween is a wonderful time for family fun and interaction with your community - set an example for future generations by making environmentally friendly choices and having a safe night.