Halloween isn’t particularly known for being a sustainable holiday, but we want to change that. Here are six great ways to have both a spooky and sustainable Halloween this year!
1. Find the scary phantom energy loads in your home and save energy.
Did you know that even when your devices are not in use, if they are plugged in they could be stealing a little bit of electricity! Are there any devices in your home that you can unplug in between uses? Find out in GreenLearning’s Home Energy Detective! In this fun activity you can learn how to reduce your energy consumption at home and your carbon footprint. Take photos of your investigation and tag us on social media @GreenLearning, or use the hashtag #HomeEnergyDetective!
2. Save clothes from the landfill by making your own Halloween costume using items you already have or items from a thrift store.
Instead of buying something new, try getting creative with a costume this year! Did you know that the average Canadian throws away 81 pounds of clothing each year? Halloween costumes often don’t get re-worn, so this year try making a costume out of clothes you already have or test out your thrifting skills and buy second-hand pieces that can be used for your costume! Here are 56 costume ideas for adults and kids that you can make from clothes you have or from thrifted clothes.
3. Pick up treat wrappers you find around your neighbourhood.
This is a fun activity for after Halloween! Those individual treat wrappers can sometimes end up as litter around the neighbourhood. On November 1st make a plan with some of your friends or family to walk around and clean up some of the Halloween mess. You can also save some of your treat wrappers from the landfill and upcycle them to make some cool crafts. Here are 20 great craft ideas that use your empty candy wrappers.
4. Make your own wrapper-less treats!
Try avoiding those individual wrappers all together this Halloween by making your own treats at home! By making your own treats you’re helping reduce waste and it’s more fun, check out these 76 different treat recipes! Plastic waste generated by Halloween, is no joke. It takes 1000 years for a plastic wrapper to fully decompose. So do your part and limit your plastic waste this Halloween!
5. Make some scary crafts using recycled materials.
We already talked about using your empty candy wrappers for some cool crafts, but you can use things in your own recycling bin to make some spooky creations as well. To learn more about how to remake, reuse, and recycle common items, be sure to check out GreenLearning’s Circular Economy Activity. This activity shows you how to make an entirely new product out of recycled materials and keeps waste out of the landfill!
6. Compost your jack-o-lanterns!
So Halloween is over and your jack-o-lantern pumpkin is starting to get a little mushy? Don’t just throw it in the landfill, compost it! Be sure to remove any candles or stickers before putting your pumpkin in the green bin so that it can be fully composted into nutrient rich soil.