Halloween is upon us and everyone is tackling those final chores to be ready for the big night. There are pumpkins to carve and decorations to hang, costumes to perfect and menus to plan. Have you even watched Hocus Pocus yet? With all the hustle and bustle of last minute Halloween prep, don’t forget the importance of making choices that are smart for the environment. You don’t have to be a fortune-teller to know that the choices we make today have an impact on our tomorrow. Leave it to askHRgreen.org to remind you of this little fact! It’s scary how much waste we can generate when our brains flip to holiday mode but greening your Halloween doesn’t mean going without. You won’t miss out on anything spooky and you may even save a few dollars. Here are some quick tips to consider as you get in the holiday spirit:
- Choose consignment. Is there anything scarier than paying full price? Oh, the horror! Consignment shopping is a great way to reduce your environmental impact all year long but especially at Halloween. Consignment and thrift stores are often filled with Halloween gold! From last year’s must have costume to odd and wacky staples, shopping secondhand is a great way to reduce your environmental impact.
- Zap the wrappers. If you’re like me, you’ve noticed the candy wrapper tumble weeds rolling through the neighborhood on November 1st. Talk with your little goblins and astronauts to make sure they know candy wrappers don’t belong on the ground. Help them make the right choice by reminding them to tuck candy wrappers into their pocket, back into their candy bucket, or into a neighborhood trashcan. Candy wrappers can persist in the environment for over FIVE years and will end up in our waterways if littered on the ground.
- Beware the Grease Goblins. If you’re hosting a Halloween party, beware the Grease Goblin. Like his friend the Grease Grinch, the Grease Goblin lurks in your drains on Halloween eve waiting for unknowing souls to drop fats, oils, and grease (FOG) down the drain. Feed the Grease Goblin enough with what you put down the drain and you’ll create a most terrifying sewer back up. The stench and the yuck from a sewer backup is frightening enough to send even the most iron-willed guests running for the hills and could contaminate your lawn, streets, and waterways. Be smart and avoid the Grease Goblin. Scrape food scraps into the trash, not the drain or garbage disposal. Pour your oil and grease into a heat-safe container and allow it to cool before tossing it in the trash. If you take this advice and follow it right the Grease Goblin won’t ruin your Halloween night!
- Carve a pumpkin then compost it. Pumpkins and hay bales are awesome decorations because they are natural unlike the synthetic spider web and plastic zombies lining the shelves of every super store. When you’re done with your pumpkin (or maybe it’s done with you!), don’t toss it in the trash can. Choose to compost instead! If you don’t currently compost, have no fear, there’s an alternative for you. Simply dig a hole in your garden bed, bury the cut up pumpkin pieces, and let nature do its job. You’ll save that pumpkin from the horrors of the landfill and return nutrients to your soil.
- Plan a cleanup. As Halloween ends and our brains turn to turkey and stuffing, get your neighbors together for a post-Halloween cleanup. Those candy wrapper tumble weeds won’t clean up themselves! Make another trip around the neighborhood following Halloween to collect littered candy wrappers and wind-blown decorations. Make a game out of it and see who can find the most! Plus, let’s be honest, we’ll all need to burn off some extra calories anyway.
That’s all from us here at askHRgreen, share on Facebook and tell us your go green Halloween tip!