(from Ecologist Website)
Creating extra waste and encouraging over-consumption; Halloween isn’t the greenest holiday. But as Ben Hudson explains, you can still have a scarily good time without it costing the planet.
With the global population set to reach seven billion on the 31st of October and no end in sight to economic and environmental turmoil, this year’s Halloween could just be the most terrifying since the Middle Ages. Once associated with mystery, magic and superstition, modern Halloween celebrations are more about dressing up, revelry and spookily shaped sweets. More than 2,000 years old, Halloween is one of the world’s oldest festivals for commemorating the dead and making the transition into winter. But commercialisation has turned this rather simplistic idea into a multibillion dollar business. Next to Christmas, more money is spent at Halloween than on any other holiday. The US spends a whopping $6.5 billion on candy, costumes and decorations.
Unfortunately, this translates into a whole lot of waste and carbon emissions. But there are ways to reduce the impact of your spooky celebrations. ‘In truth, to celebrate Halloween, you don’t need to spend a penny,’ says Lynn Colwell from US not-for-profit organisation, Green Halloween. ‘We’re not taking anything away, we’re trying to help people have a great time and that does not involve mum and dad going out and buying stuff. We promote healthy and eco alternatives so it’s good for the children and good for the planet.’ Here’s how to get involved the green way.
What to wear
Masks and costumes are an integral part of Halloween and unlike sweets, are a genuine part of Halloween. On the 31st, it was believed that the dead would return to earth and roam the streets so to avoid being recognised people would wear masks to misdirect spirits and ghosts. When Halloween reached America it became more about communal parties and festivities where it lost much of its religious and superstitious undertones. But Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without the costumes everyone from one to 100 loves to wear. After all, it’s the one night of the year where anything goes wardrobe-wise as long as you’ve got a good back story.
For most people, costumes are store-bought rather than home-made. Cheap mass-produced non-recyclable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) costumes often don’t last the night and end up littering the streets until they are committed to landfill. Rather than splashing out, get creative and make you own costume from old clothes. If you are having party, make it a rule and give prizes for the best (and worst) designs. Look through your old clothes; you’ll be surprised what you will find at the back of your wardrobe. Ask friends and family for help and if you need to buy something go to a charity shop. The same applies for make-up; Halloween is a great chance to use those odds and ends of old make-up left at the bottom of your bag. You can make a pretty convincing ghost or Greek God with an old bed-sheet and it’s just as easy to scare up a zombie costume with the right combination of ragged-clothing and make-up. If you are still struggling, you can always rent a costume or swap clothes with a friend for the rather lame ‘we’ve come as each other’ look - just don’t expect to win any prizes
