Green Halloween - 5 Easy Tips For An Eco Friendly Holiday

Christmas 022

The air is getting cooler, the days are getting shorter and the second biggest holiday of the year is almost upon us. Halloween spending last year was approximately 5.8 billion and most of it was spent on items that would be discarded as soon as the festivities were over. This year instead of filling the landfills and emptying our pockets use these simple tips to help save yourself money and the planet.

Go retro!

Instead of the traditional petrochemical based plastic pumpkin, try going retro by using an old pillowcase. Reusable canvas or cloth shopping bags make great candy catchers too.

DIY costumes

Many store bought costumes contain toxic phthalates and are worn once and thrown away. This year why not try making your own costume? Boxes,paper towel rolls, even Dad´s old ties can, with a bit of imagination, become great Halloween costumes. If your not ready to try making you own invite your friends to bring their outgrown costumes for a costume swap or find second hand costumes at consignment stores or even on Craigslist.

Recycle your pumpkin

Give your pumpkin a second life by composting it On average 1.1 billion pounds of leftover pumpkins end up in landfills where they release methane, a greenhouse gas more toxic than carbon dioxide. By adding this years jack-o-lantern to your compost pile not only will you keep it out of a landfill but you can use to feed next years pumpkin patch.

Skip the makeup

Kids love getting dressed up and putting on Halloween makeup but the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found lead (a known neurotoxin) in all of the samples of Halloween makeup it analyzed even those that were labeled non toxic. A better option is to stick to organic makeup or forego the makeup all together.

Green your party

With 82% of Americans either hosting or attending Halloween parties that means a lot of partying and a lot of waste. Instead of using disposable plates,cups, and cutlery use tableware that can be washed and used again. You can also make your own decorations out of locally grown gourds,pumpkins and colorful fall leaves. An old bed sheet easily makes a spooktacular and reusable ghost. If you have store bought Halloween decorations, store them with your other holiday decorations and reuse them. Your children will look forward to the tradition of getting out their favorite decorations year after year!

http://www.newgreenshopping.com is a green shopping blog that features the latest and best in eco-friendly home,fashion,baby and technology products.