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Be plastic-free this Halloween

Are you worried about wasting plastic this Halloween? Don't worry, we've got it covered.

Halloween: a plastic pollution nightmare?

Halloween has become a beloved tradition here in the UK, and costumes sweets and decorations dedicated to the spooky season are widespread in every shop. However, this can come at a cost for the environment; these Halloween staples are almost always packaged or wrapped in plastic, which will quickly be disposed of by Nov 1st and find its way into landfill.

But there’s plenty of ways we can achieve a plastic free Halloween without losing the fun!

Ghost costume

Terrifying treats

Consider making homemade treats for trick or treaters, an easy way to reduce plastic and a fun way for the whole family to get involved. You could make toffee apples or  ghost shaped cookies, which are sure to be a welcome change from the wrapped treats usually handed out.

Opt for a plastic-free event

There’s plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween that don’t involve plastic decorations or sweets. Why not go to a scare maze, or a local ghost tour, sure to give you goosebumps along with great memories?

 

Decorations
Get creative and make your own decorations that you can recycle afterwards. This could be a great Halloween activity for kids over the half term too! How about...

  • Make paper ghosts, bats or pumpkin garlands (there’s loads of videos on YouTube.)
  • Transform milk jugs or jam jars into ghost lanterns
  • Use brown string to create spider webs

 

Costumes

Did you know shop costumes are, on average, 90% plastic? And I’m sure we’re all guilty of buying a Halloween costume that we know we’ll never wear again. There’s plenty of ways to avoid the excess plastic and, lets face it, the excess cost too.

  • Create a stylish costume from your own wardrobe – many of the most popular Halloween costumes can be imitated from clothes already in your house. If you’re missing a piece, hit up your local charity shops or see if a friend has an item you can borrow.

 

  • Get crafty – some costumes, with a little bit of creativity, can be easily made at home. Instead of buying a scream mask or the grim reaper’s scythe, you could just follow a tutorial online and make your very own.

 

  • Charity shops often have donated costumes that have only been worn once – the year before – and will be much cheaper than the usually overpriced shop options. And, if you can’t resist buying that fabulous store costume, donating it to your local charity shop is a great way to save it from landfill.

 

  • If you and your friends are set on a group costume, why not rent the costumes for the night and save A LOT of money.

 

  • Spooky or gory makeup is the perfect way to embody the Halloween spirit and create a clearly recognisable costume, and you probably already have some of the makeup at home. If you’re opting for face paint, choose a natural, non-toxic face paint that washes off at the end of the night.

 

However you decide to celebrate, stay safe and have a great Halloween x