Image source,Getty Images
pumpkin lantern
Entering late October, many parents are planning Halloween costumes, props and decorations for their children (October 31 every year): pumpkin lanterns, bats, skeletons, pirates, vampires, zombies and so on.
But the problem is that these decorations and clothing are often thrown away after they are used once, not to mention causing astonishing waste, and not conducive to environmental protection.
With the strengthening of people’s awareness of environmental protection and the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 (which will be held in Glasgow, Scotland from November 1-12, 2021) soon, many people may be wondering how to make themselves better this year. Halloween is also more environmentally friendly.
In fact, it’s not difficult to have a “green” Halloween. From various sustainable party ideas to zero-waste pumpkin recipes, BBC Bitesize has sorted out some tips:
Halloween costume renovation
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Children wearing all kinds of ghost festival costumes.
Many Halloween costumes are deliberately made and are often thrown away after being worn once. According to a 2019 survey by two British charities, the United Kingdom’s seasonal plastic waste generated from clothing and fast fashion brands alone is as high as more than 2,000 tons. Does it sound scary?
Rather than buying new clothes, you might as well be frugal this year. Go to a second-hand store and go to Taobao, and you might find creepy and stunning outfits. Maybe you can find a whole set of Halloween costumes, maybe you can find some suitable second-hand costumes and sew some decorations yourself.
If you know which particular outfit you want, you can also exchange it with others, or ask your family and friends for some small decorations they may already have.
If you still have the clothes that you wore when you attended the masquerade party, don’t throw them away. You can consider donating them to second-hand stores of charities or giving them away.
It’s also a good idea to make your own Halloween costumes out of paper pulp or cardboard-but borrowing ready-made costumes saves trouble and can also reduce waste.
DIY decoration
Do it yourself some knickknacks
It is very wasteful to buy disposable decorations and throw them away when they are used up, and they damage the environment. You might as well make some decorations yourself, or find out the old ones and use them again.
If you want to keep the decorations, don’t forget to recycle and reuse some of the batteries and light bulbs.
Do-it-yourself Halloween decoration saves money, is environmentally friendly, and is not too difficult. For example, you can learn how to make origami bats from online courses, or you can use the free decorations given by nature to make wreaths with dried leaves or branches.
For another example, you can bake some snacks, snacks, or make candies for the trick-or-treaters (trick-or-treaters), which is more environmentally friendly than buying single-packaged candies.
Zero waste pumpkin lantern
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Various pumpkin lantern shapes.
Image source,BBC Chinese
Pumpkins can also be made into various delicacies.
Pumpkin lanterns are one of the traditional decorations for Halloween, and there are a lot of pumpkins on the market in Halloween supermarkets. It is estimated that the UK will produce 24 million pumpkin lanterns in 2020. However, two-fifths of people don’t know that pumpkins used to carve jack-o-lanterns are also edible.
In fact, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin skin, and pumpkin meat are all edible. For example, pumpkin seeds can be roasted or made into pesto; pumpkin skin can be made into potato chips; pumpkin meat can be made into soup-or even made into brightly colored pumpkin ice cream.
So, don’t throw away the pumpkin after you finish carving this year. There are many delicious pumpkin recipes on the Internet for reference.
Don’t forget, you can also compost the pumpkin lanterns that have been kept outdoors for a few days and can no longer be eaten.
When buying pumpkins, if you have the conditions, you can consider picking them in the local pumpkin fields yourself, which can reduce the supermarket’s seasonal supply demand. Of course it’s better if you can grow your own pumpkins.
If you don’t like pumpkins, you can also use old milk cartons or large glass jars to make Jack-O-Lantern. You can also recycle them and use them next year.
Image source,PA Media
Pumpkin farms are becoming more and more popular.
More ways to green Halloween
- Bake some snacks, snacks or make candies for the trick-or-treaters (trick-or-treaters), which is more environmentally friendly than buying single-packaged candies. You can use cupcakes, caramel or sugar apples instead of mini chocolate bars and candies bought in the supermarket.
- You can make the bowl or container for the candy by yourself, don’t buy a new plastic container; if you go out to beg for candy, try to use a reusable bag.
- It is best to paint your face with non-toxic color paint and make sure to recycle all packaging. Most hard plastics can be recycled, but please read the label and follow local waste disposal regulations.
- Use existing cosmetics to be creative, don’t always buy new ones. You can also make fake blood, wounds and warts with ingredients from the kitchen at home.
- Use natural Halloween decorations, for example, use dried leaves or branches to make a Halloween wreath.
- Replace the candles in jack-o-lanterns with reusable LED tea lights, which can be used again next year.
- Organize an online choir with the theme of Halloween, adults and children can participate. People can dress up in disguise and sing online together.
- It is best not to use disposable tableware for Halloween parties. It is more environmentally friendly to use ordinary tableware that can be washed.
- Pretend to be a ghost in a virtual party: organize a horror movie contest with your friends or play a horror game… Of course, don’t forget to turn off the lights!