The Scary Truth about Halloween

Rebecca Wilson, passionate about recycling across South Yorkshire
Rebecca Wilson
22 Oct 2020

Itโ€™s the spookiest time of the year and not only because of the ghosts! A scary amount of waste is produced during Halloween, much of which can be avoided. Here are our top tips for avoiding a waste nightmare!

Pumpkin carved into Jack-O-Lantern

Pumpkin carvings

A great tradition we love at Halloween is pumpkin carving. However, most people carve the pumpkin and leave throw away the inside flesh. Why not use it up in a delicious pumpkin soup, risotto or cake.

If you donโ€™t like the taste of pumpkins, why not use something different such as a watermelon, butternut squash or pineapple! They make great lanterns and are something different from the usual pumpkin.

Once your lantern has wilted, remove the candle and place it in your general waste bin or in your compost bin.

 

Creative costumes

Buying costumes can be expensive, especially since most are only worn once and then chucked in the bin. They also cause damage to our planet too, generating a whopping 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste (equivalent to 83 million plastic bottles!)

Look at what you already have in your wardrobe and see if can be adapted to a spooky costume. For example a black t shirt and trousers can be turned into a cat costume with face paint and headband.

If not, look in charity shops for costumes and consider swapping with friends and family.

 

Decorations

Loads of Halloween decorations are available in stores at the moment, many of which are made of plastic, designed to only last short period of time, and contain batteries.

Try to choose decorations that will last year on year, or made from recyclable materials such as paper and wood. If your decorations do contain batteries, make sure you recycle them once empty at your local shop, supermarket or household waste recycle centre.

 

By making small changes, you can stop Halloween from turning into an environmental nightmare! Got any more tips? Share them on our social media page!

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