Halloween

As Covid19 restrictions start to ease off, more people are having parties and small gatherings. Will you be having a Halloween party this year? If you do, there are so many reasons why making it a plastic-free or zero-waste party is the way to go.

With so much extra pollution from the millions of disposable masks and gloves on our planet since the pandemic started, we would all be wise to try and reduce our use of single use plastics and other disposable materials this year.

If you live in a place where masks are still required indoors, there are some fantastic sellers of handmade and reusable Halloween face masks online these days, such as this one on Etsy in Spain.

Meanwhile, the local Chinese bazaars are brimming with endless packs of plastic, many of which will be for one-time use only. Here are some ideas on how to avoid endless plastic this year, and a reminder to ask yourself where you can reduce the waste and attempt a zero waste Halloween party to impress:

1. COSTUMES

Instead of buying new nylon or polyester costumes which invariably come in plastic packs, why not check out your local charity shop and see if you can pick up some interesting clothes or fabric from which you can fashion a homemade costume. There are tonnes of ideas you can find online for homemade costumes that won’t require great sewing skills or expensive items, but will ensure you create far less plastic waste and will be one step toward a Green Halloween. We like these ideas from Livegreen’s Recyclebank

2. SWEETS AND FOOD

It’s very tempting to buy packs of sweets for your party goers and we all know kids just can’t resist. But could you rustle up some simple homemade delights? A quick google search will find you hundreds of recipes for no-bake sweet treats so you don’t even need to slave in the kitchen for hours. Jazz up your treats with some natural food colouring to give the full Halloween effect. Try these fabulous no-bake sweet treat ideas and you’ll have a clear conscience when it comes to your low waste Halloween party.

If your guests are bringing food, ask them to bring it in their own containers which can be washed and used again. Then, if by chance there are any leftovers, they can be taken away again with zero waste.

3. TABLEWARE

If you’re hosting a Halloween party this year and really need to use disposable tableware like plates and cups, be sure to remember to buy biodegradable ones. Many shops offer a range of paper alternatives for plates and cups, but you can also offer wooden cutlery and paper straws.

4. DECORATIONS

Another big temptation is to run to the shops and grab more decorations, but the same principle applies. Have a look online for some simple ideas to create spooky interiors with glass lanterns, cut out pumpkins or jack ‘o lanterns, old branches, autumn leaves as well as reused and recycled fabric or cloth. Here are some more sustainable Halloween decoration ideas for your home

Don’t forget that once you have carved out your pumpkin, you can leave it in the garden (or campo) for the animals and insects to eat which will aid the decomposing process and will feed many creatures. If you have a compost or wormery set up at home, even better!

5. RECYCLING

If you do end up with plastic being used at your party or a lot of waste being generated, make it clear to your guests that you recycle by offering different bins. You can easily collect paper waste in a cardboard box which can then be transported to the blue paper recycling bins nearest to you. In our local area, the yellow recycling bins take many types of plastic so offer a bin for plastic waste then at least if you can recycle it, there will be less waste going into landfill. Glass is an obvious one and should your fabulous friends or close family bring you bottles of fizz, they too can be easily recycled, adding to the eco-status of your party.

These are just five simple tips to get you thinking about how you can make your party zero waste and plastic-free this year and have a Halloween party to make even the greenest eco warriors proud. Tell us how you get on or share any more ideas in the comments below.