Halloween Sustainability!
Halloween is just around the corner! Cherished by many people around the world, Halloween is the holiday for every age! Unfortunately, Halloween brings an excessive use of single-use plastics, candy wrappers, and discarded costumes.
Single-use decorations are very common for Halloween. Fake spiderwebs, plastic pumpkins and creepy window clings may seem like a good idea to dive into the Halloween festivities, but these seemingly harmless decorations are often crafted from plastic. Because of this, these decorations are contributing to plastic pollution and waste, and these decorations will most often end up in a landfill or even the ocean once the Halloween season concludes.
Candy is another part of Halloween that is loved by many people! After all, Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without candy, am I right? As much as candy is arguably one of the biggest parts of Halloween, it can also be one of the biggest contributors to pollution. Most, if not all Halloween candy is individually wrapped in plastic, which again can end up in landfills and help to contribute to excess waste and pollution.
Arguably the most important part of Halloween is the costumes! Whether it’s Spider-Man, Wolverine or a princess, costumes at Halloween have been a way for people of all ages to be able to express themselves and their interests for one night a year! Although costumes are super fun, they are usually created with cheap materials that are intended for one-time use. Costumes are a direct contributor to the fast fashion and textile waste industries, and beyond being discarded plastic, are often made using the exploitation of workers or unfair labor practices.
Although all of these elements of Halloween contribute to pollution and waste, there are alternatives that you can use to make your Halloween more sustainable, and just as fun! Buying candy in bulk can help to reduce the amount of plastic involved! Another way to reduce plastic waste is by using things around your house to create your halloween decor and costume! By reusing things that you already own, you can save money, as well as reduce the amount of wasted materials! Bonus points if it’s something that you can use all year round! Using pieces from your closet that you dont use often is a great way to make use of old clothes! One other way to help reduce waste during the Halloween season is by searching for eco-friendly alternatives to things that you would already be using around your home, such as pillowcases for trick-or-treating, and a reusable candy bowl!
By being cautious about your practices and waste during this Halloween season, you can help to be a fighter in reducing plastic and textile waste, and creating a more eco-friendly planet! We hope that you will get involved and advocate for less plastic consumption! Happy Halloween!
Genghini, L. (2023, October 31). Halloween: A frightening impact on the planet and how to make it green. 2030.Builders. https://2030.builders/sustainability-halloween/