Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean there has to be a scary ending. But year on year, the aftermath of this day leaves more than just the vampires and witches to be scared about. From the brand new costumes and decorations we buy every year, to the poor pumpkins that we neglect once December 1st arrives, there’s a lot of waste associated with this tradition that we don’t always think about. But there’s things we can all do to change this. Here’s a few simple tips to making your Halloween a little less wasteful.
Pumpkins
There are some really scary figures about the amount of pumpkins that go to waste during this time of year. But there’s so much more to a pumpkin than just being part of your Halloween decorations!” It’s an extremely versatile food, and here’s just a few things you can do with them: you can roast, boil, fry and mash them, and they’re a great addition to risotto, curry, soups, pies and salads. My personal favourites are pumpkin wedges, and roasting the seeds as a healthy snack. But pumpkins are not only restricted to savoury dishes, there’s plenty of sweet desserts too including pumpkin pie, bread, cupcakes, and they can even be used to make a delicious punch!
It’s also really important to compost your used pumpkins after use, to reduce the number that are sent to landfill. If you don’t have your own composting bin, check your local Council’s website to see where the nearest composting site is. We also have a community fridge @ The Edge cafe where you can put your unused pumpkins.
DIY costume
The most exciting part about Halloween (for me anyway!) is the dressing up, whether that be a scary costume or wanting to transform into your favourite character for the night. Whatever you decide, for many of us, the first thought is to raid the nearest Fancy Dress shop and this means forking out a fair bit of money for a one time outfit. Not only is this an expensive option, it is also extremely wasteful. Imagine how many halloween outfits are worn once and never worn again! For those of you tight on money or want to make your conscience less guilty, consider the DIY approach. There are loads of simple yet effective things you can do with some old clothes lying at the back of your wardrobe or from the charity shop, and things lying around the house. Check out platforms such as Youtube and Pinterest to get your creative juices flowing!
Make your own decorations
Not only is this an eco-friendly approach, it’s also a fun one! From the tombstone in the garden to the bats flying around the ceiling, there’s so many easy tutorials and decorative inspiration online. Fancy teaming your love for all things spooky with your love of baking? Why not make your own ‘trick or treat’ goodies, eliminating the waste that comes with shop bought sweets and chocolate.
Swap shop
Don’t have the time or the patience to DIY this year? What about organising a halloween swap shop with your friends or colleagues! This is a great way to mix up your halloween look from last year, without buying a brand new one! This can also be done to vamp up your decoration collection. Get the gang together and get swapping! Another option is to pass on the joy of last year’s costume to someone else, whether that be taking it to your nearest charity shop or offering it on a swap shop/selling page. This means your outfit can be enjoyed by someone else who will hopefully do the same thing the year after!