Have a Green Halloween

There isn't any reason why a holiday rolling around means you can take the day off from saving the world. There are several ways you can make your holiday more environmentally friendly. Having a green Halloween is easier than you may think.

Green Halloween Candy

Instead of just heading to the large orange aisle at your local store for the biggest bag of Halloween candy you can find, look for alternatives. You can look for organic candy made with little impact on the environment. Look for candy with the least amount of packaging and purchase only what you will need for that day, instead of buying an extra large grab bag when you only have a few trick-or-treaters and don't care for half the candy in the bag yourself. Buying less candy not only helps you create a green Halloween but it will often help your waistline as well. Think about how much you throw away around Halloween and try to reduce or recycle as much as you can.

Green Halloween Candy Bags

The bags or buckets kids carry around to trick-or-treat with have become as elaborate and expensive, as the costumes. Help have a green Halloween by using what you have for a candy bag. An old pillowcase works just fine or you could use fabric scraps to make your own patchwork bag. The eco-friendly shopping bags we are all using (or should be using!), also make great green Halloween candy bags. Any bag in your house will work, especially if you tie it to the costumes such as Grandma's old carpet bag for a hobo.

Green Halloween Costumes

Costumes are often thrown away after just one use but a green Halloween will help you look at them differently. Hold a costume swap party with friends or family. Have everyone bring their own costumes as well as their kids costumes and let everyone swap costumes around. Another green Halloween costume would be to either rent a costume or spend the money on a nice costume. Some costumes, like the ones that can also be worn at Renaissance fairs, can be worn for many years instead of just for one. If all else fails, grab an old white sheet and go as a ghost! If you have old costumes that are no longer in good enough shape to wear throw them in your child's dress up trunk or use the fabric to create other items like purses or throw pillows.

Make the best of your holiday by having a green Halloween!