Eat candy, celebrate, and stay Green!
Happy Fall everyone! Time to get your fall decor out, carve local pumpkins, create fun costumes, and have a blast in the local orchards and corn-mazes! We can still participate in the fall festivities while adhering to the CDC guidelines and recommendations. BARC encourages a fun Halloween season while keeping it green and squeaky clean.
Here are some ways in which we can take part in a Green Halloween!
1. Reuse & reinvent old clothing/costumes instead of buying new ones!
Kids grow out of clothes/costumes way too quickly, and usually want to be something different every year. A great way to save money and practice sustainability is to repurpose old clothing and create your own costume! Find some staple pieces such as a cool pair of boots, a funky hat, or prop to get the creative juices flowing.
2. Thrift your costumes
If you don’t have what you need around the house, thrifting is a great way to get some fresh items without spending a fortune. Check out last month’s blog article for more information on sustainable fashion and to view our list of local consignment shops!
3. Reuse your past Halloween decorations or only buy compostable decor!
Halloween decorations are awesome because they can be reused over and over again! Those skeletons and mummies you have in the attic can be brought out another year and they will still look great on your front porch. If a revamp of decorations is necessary to be the coolest house on the block, try to create decorations from compostable items. Egg carton bats and trash bag spider webs are just the start to DIY decorations. Here are some ideas!
4. Purchase compostable serviceware for gatherings and parties!
If throwing scary parties or haunted houses are your specialty, choose compostable serviceware for your guests! BARC has a whole shop available for purchase and would love to help you host a zero-waste event. Check out all of our available products! Also, e-vites to your events are a great idea for saving paper products!
5. Support local orchards and pumpkin patches!
There are so many fun places to visit in Northern Michigan, especially in the fall. So many fun pumpkin patches, wineries, cider mills, corn mazes and apple picking for the whole family! Here are some amazing places to attend to during the Halloween season!
6. Carve your pumpkins, don’t paint them!
Carving pumpkins is such a fun tradition to partake in around Halloween time, but in order for the pumpkins to decompose properly and safely, they need to be in their natural state. Before you spread them in your garden as compost, make sure they do not have any paint, glitter, or any other plastic-like substance on them. We like those all-natural pumpkins!
7. Use your pumpkins for cooking!
When carving pumpkins, the seeds make for a great snack and the pumpkin insides make for amazing breads, cookies, muffins, and other treats. We can be resourceful by using all the pumpkin’s parts, and get some tasty treats out of it too!
8. Use reusable bags or pillowcases for Trick-or-Treating bags
When sending the kids out to Trick-or-Treat this year, it is a great idea to send them with a reusable bag or pillowcase. It may be more old-school, but less wasteful and much more sturdy to hold ALL the candy!
9. Purchase candy where the wrappers can be recycled
It is difficult to find candy that is still individually wrapped (for the safety and health of our kids) that is recyclable. Most candies you buy from stores are made from non-recyclable plastics… except for a select few! Here are some recyclable candy packaging to inspire your Green Halloween shopping!
10. Find non-GMO and natural ingredient candy to pass out during Halloween night
While enjoying the night of parties and candy binging, we can avoid those trips to the dentist/doctor with some non-GMO, all natural ingredient candies. Here are some examples of some “healthier” options for Halloween.
Check the status of Trick-or-Treating in your area!
Because 2020 has been such an unpredictable year, cancelations of traditions like Halloween Trick-or-Treating is not unexpected. However, you can reach out to your city council or board to see what their status is for holiday events, or you can check this map to see the severity of Covid-19 in your area. Based on your color of severity with Covid, this website gives you exciting alternatives so you can still celebrate, even if the party is limited to your living room. There are lots of ways to have a Green Halloween, so join BARC in making this the best Halloween yet!
