Halloween is great fun, but it can also be a very wasteful. Last year we shared lots of ideas. This year we're keeping it simple, with three small changes that make a difference.
1. Rethink the costume 👻
Most shop-bought costumes are made of cheap plastic. Research by Hubbub and The Fairyland Trust found that 83% of costume material was oil-based plastic. Around 7 million costumes get binned in the UK each year, and two in five are only worn once. Polyester also sheds tiny plastic fibres every time it's washed, and those can end up in our rivers and seas.
Try this: Swap, don't buy. Libraries Unlimited and Recycle Devon are running Halloween costume swaps at 22 libraries across Devon this October, including Barnstaple and South Molton. Last year more than 180 costumes were passed on. Bring along outgrown costumes in good condition, or just pop in and browse the rail. Costumes are free to take home, and you don't have to donate to take part. Dates and times vary, so check with your local library. No luck? A charity shop, an old sheet or a cardboard box goes a long way.
2. Eat your pumpkin and have fun picking it locally 🎃
Every year, millions of pumpkins are carved, admired for a few days, then binned. Hubbub estimated roughly half of all Halloween pumpkins go uneaten. In landfill they rot and release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. It's also perfectly good food (top tip: smaller pumpkins/pumpkins NOT called ‘Carving Pumpkin’ are often more tasty).
Sprucing this delightful vegetable for its Halloween show can be done in a few ways: a) Don’t carve it at all, decorate it using paints, pens and autumn leaves, which means you can eat more of the pumpkin after Halloween, or: b) If you want to carve it up, scoop out the flesh as you carve and turn it into soup, curry or muffins. Roast the seeds as a snack. Need inspiration? Recycle Devon has a whole cauldron of pumpkin recipes. When you're done, pop the carved pumpkin in your compost or food waste caddy. (Eat the flesh while it's fresh, not after the lantern has sat outside for a week!)
3. Ditch the fake cobwebs 🕸️
Stretchy fake spiderwebs might be a Halloween classic, but they're made from plastic fibres that don't break down. Outside, they're a real hazard for wildlife. The strands are so fine that birds struggle to see them, and birds, bats and insects can get tangled up. The RSPB's wildlife experts have warned against using them outdoors.
Try this: Choose something solid instead, like paper or fabric webs, a rope web, painted signs or window decorations. And if a real spider has already put up a web in your garden, leave it be. The spider has done all the hard work for you and it might scare people even more. 🕷️
Small changes, less waste
A pre-loved costume, a wildlife-friendly front door and pumpkin that gets eaten instead of binned. Easy swaps, and just as much fun!
Happy Halloween!