Halloween is likely one of the most fun holidays of the year. It’s also a time where a whole lot of unnecessary waste is generated due to all of the items that only get used once before ending up in the trash.
Luckily, with a little extra thought and planning, there are many things you and your family can do to reduce your environmental impact this Halloween without skimping out on the fun. Below are some great tips for having an eco-friendly Halloween that will also help you save some money along the way too!
Costumes
For every new Halloween costume created, resources are consumed, and the environment is impacted. Rather than contributing to the consumerism of this holiday, create a home-made Halloween costume or reuse a friend’s costume from a previous year (this applies to both you if you’re planning on dressing up, and your kids). You can even host a costume swap in the next couple of weeks. Once the festivities are over, donate your costume to a local school’s drama department or women’s shelter.
Decorations
Halloween is the second largest holiday after Christmas for buying decorations. However, much like your costume, you can avoid buying new decorations that will probably end up getting thrown out the day after Halloween. How? Easy. Keep it simple and decorate minimally. Spook up your home with home-made decorations created from recycled materials – for example, by turning an old glass container into a spooky ghost. Attract trick or treaters easily with environmentally-friendly LED lights. If you’re carving jack-o-lanterns, be sure to purchase them from a local vendor (local produce travels fewer miles and therefore produce fewer emissions), and when you’re ready to get rid of your pumpkins, don’t just toss them in the bin, compost them. These eco-friendly Halloween decorations will help minimize your impact.
Trick or Treating
When going trick or treating with your kids, walk instead of drive. Have your kids use reusable bags or pillowcases to collect candy in. Go an extra step further by carrying an additional bag to pick up litter along the way. When handing out treats, opt for candies that come in recyclable packaging and are sustainably produced. You can even choose to hand out useful gadgets that aren’t candy such as Halloween-themed pencils or pumpkin erasers.
With just a little bit of creative thinking, adding some green to your orange and black can ensure that this Halloween is a hit for both your family and the environment. Even though these tips are specifically for staying green throughout Halloween, the general principles can apply to your daily life as well. Think before you buy. Choose eco-friendly products. Shop local. Reuse when possible. Reduce your use.
Halloween is just the start of the holiday season. Some tips for staying green during all of the fall and winter festivities include:
- Opting for reusable utensils
- Saying no to plastic
- Choosing cloth over paper
- Making your own DIY gifts and house décor
- Ensuring that your holiday feasts are prepared using local ingredients
- Donating your time to an environmental cause
Sustainability is at the core of all that we do at Kiwi Energy and we are committed to helping our customers make the right choices for our planet. This applies to (but is not limited to) our eco-conscious energy and natural gas products, Ecogold Loyalty Program (where our customers are able to purchase energy-saving products at discounted prices from our participating brands), and the Ecogold Environmental Fund (which contributes to non-profits running environmental projects). If you’re not currently a customer but are interested in creating a more sustainable future and living a greener lifestyle overall, contact us!
