How to have a plastic-free Halloween
1 minute read
Halloween is a time when many people like to dress up and go trick or treating. This can result in a vast amount of plastic being produced – devil forks, vampire capes, cat ears, facemasks, fake cobwebs and even polystyrene pumpkins.
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Not to mention all the single-use plastic for party food, sweet wrappers and drinks containers. That is a lot of plastic waste for one night.
However, with a bit of thought and creativity, it is possible to have a fun spooky evening while avoiding adding to the mountain of plastic pollution. Here are some plastic-free Halloween tips:
- Make your own treats. There are recipes online for all sorts of treats from fudge to cookies to toffee apples. A bit of careful shopping will keep the plastic wrapping to a minimum.
- When it comes to taking off your makeup or face paint, a simple bar of soap or plastic-free scrub will do – no need for plastic wet wipes.
- Halloween costumes are often made of plastics such as polyester and only used once. Instead, make your own costume from cardboard or re-purpose old cotton bed sheets or curtains. Afterwards, the cardboard can be recycled and the cloth can either be kept for next year or recycled too. If you already have a costume or mask, use it year after year or pass it on to someone else. Charity shops often can’t resell costumes with no fire safety information, so keep all the packaging if you intend to donate it.
- Avoid using disposable plates and plastic straws. Using old jam jars as glasses can be an interesting, ocean-friendly alternative. You can decorate them with a marker pen to get the look.
- After a Halloween party, clean up using natural, eco-friendly products.
- Recycle as much as possible after your party. Check your local council website for details of what you can recycle on your doorstep and what you can take to local collection bins.
Do you have more tips for a plastic-free Halloween? Visit our Facebook group to get and share ideas.