8 Ways to Green Your Halloween

This story is part of Earth911’s “Green Eight” series, where we showcase eight ways to green your life in various areas.

Halloween means many things to many people. It can be a day to live as someone else or get scared out of your shorts. It marks a change of seasons, or just more leaves on your front lawn. Read these eight tips, and you may rename it “Hallow-green:”

1. Reuse Your Pumpkin Seeds

What would Halloween be without turning pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns? Part of this process involves scooping out the inside of the pumpkin, and there’s some good stuff inside that shouldn’t be thrown away. You can toast pumpkin seeds for a snack, or even make oil out of them. They also make a great addition to your compost pile if you don’t want to eat them.

2. Sweep Your Drive

Depending on your location, Halloween may be a time of year where foliage drops all over your driveway and walkways. If you’re expecting trick-or-treaters, it’s probably a smart idea to clear away this debris. Instead of using a hose, save countless gallons of water by sweeping them with a broom. If you’re wondering what to do with the remains, leaves can also be added to your compost pile.

3. Use Sustainable Decorations

You may live in a neighborhood where the most decorated house is the most popular. That doesn’t mean you have to decorate with store-bought items. Create your own decorations and generate just as many screams.

4. Recycle Party Waste

A 2007 National Retail Foundation survey found that 60 percent of people celebrate Halloween in some way. That’s a higher number than the individual recycling rates of aluminum, glass, paper and plastic bottles.

If you’re holding a Halloween party, put out bins for your guests to recycle drink containers. You can use Earth911 to find out where to recycle beverage containers, and even earn some money to offset the cost of your party.

5. Check Out Organic Apples

Two Halloween favorites, apple bobbing and candied apples, seem pretty green due to their lack of packaging and artificial flavors. A way to make your Halloween apple treats even greener is by searching for apples in the organic aisle at your grocery store, which are grown without the use of pesticides. You can also find organic nuts or sweets to sprinkle on your candied apples.

6. Lower Energy Use for Scary Movies

Another Halloween staple is the scary movie, which is why there are nine chapters of the Halloween film series alone. But scary movies cater themselves to low-energy use, so hopefully you are complying.

• A newer TV will provide a better picture, and is generally more energy-efficient than an older model.
• Turning off the lights provides a scary atmosphere.
• Bundling up in a blanket instead of cranking up the heat is a great way to shield your eyes at scary parts, without making your electric bill scarier.

7. Dress for Multiple Hallow-brations

The older you get, you may notice that Halloween turns into a multi-night celebration. You may go out with friends to a bar one night, a Halloween party over the weekend and trick-or-treating with the kids on Halloween night.

Instead of three different costumes, decide on one for all of your celebrations and wait to wash it until the calendar hits November. Less washing will save water and help your costume last longer.

8. Practice Green Trick-or-Treating

This topic is extensive, but here are some favorite tips:

1. Reduce candy packaging by using bulk candy.
2. Pick a green costume by reusing what you have around the house.
3. Set a spooky mood by turning off your lights and lowering energy use.
4. Walk your neighborhood rather than drive.
5. Donate leftover candy to a charity in your area.