Make your own costume
It is estimated that 2,000 tons of plastic waste are disposed of every Halloween in costumes alone! So, make your own, but if not...
Get one second-hand or borrow one from a friend
There are a lot of options. GoodWill, Facebook Marketplace, Depop, ThredUp, and more! You can even ask friends and family to see what they have and what you can borrow!
Use decor you already have and make what you can yourself
Use what you have like scarves, pinecones, twigs, grasses and leaves, wreaths, and the like. Find things around your home, your neighborhood, your yard and your local thrift store. Kinda like what I did with the costume above, I made it with things I already had!
If not, buy it this year and save it for next year to avoid buying it year after year
If you have to buy new, at least save it for next year! Don't throw it away and buy new year after year!
DIY any decor you can
My favorite way to make decor is upcycling. I love finding wood in people's bulk trash or using old paper or cardboard to paint on to make things like candy corn, pumpkins, sunflower, spiders, and so forth.
DIY snacks, food, and drinks
Try to avoid packaging if possible and DIY things like popcorn, candies, cookies, cakes, and other things of that sort.
Provide guests with reusable cups, plates, etc or ask them to BYOC (bring your own cup)
Sounds weird, yes, and they might think so too, but if they know you well, they will oblige. Especially if they know you as the "weird zero waste hippie!" Avoid single-use plastic if possible!
Chose candy in recyclable materials
Things like pixie stix, nerds, milk duds, and so forth. Or, opt for the least amount of plastic is possible
OR (you might not be able to achieve both) get vegan candies too or at least fairtrade
I have a whole list of vegan candies coming out on October 22nd ;)
If you’re buying candy for your family at home, opt for bulk candy instead of a bunch of individually wrapped ones
Bulk doesn't necessarily mean like a bulk store but rather a 5 lb bag of sour patch kids vs 20 tiny bags of sour patch kids
If you and your neighbors or you and your friends are all going trick or treating or to a party, see if they want to carpool!
Then, once you get to your trick or treat destination, walk as much as possible. I know it’s difficult with kids, but try not to drive to each individual house!
Thank you so much for reading along! As always, remember that the small changes you make have a big impact in the long run :)
Emma
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