October 18, 2012

Green Halloween Tips

October brings with it Halloween season, which every year seems to draw bigger and bigger celebrations. Like Christmas, Halloween is now much-anticipated with more people decorating their homes for the holiday than ever before. If you're anxiously awaiting the spooky season, here's some green tips for you to keep in mind to make the season friendlier to the environment.

1. Trick-or-Treat the Green Way Don't take along a disposable plastic bag or a chemical-laden plastic pumpkin for your kids to hold your kids’ trick-or-treating loot. The Eco Lunch Bag line has a great orange convertible bag available that is made from eco-friendly fabric. After Halloween is over, your kids can use it as a lunch bag for school instead of paper bags.

2. Decorate Naturally Rather than purchasing plastic products to place in your yard, go for greener choices like bails of hay, cornstalks, pumpkins and gourds. You can leave these items up after the holiday, as they're also symbolic of fall. When the season finally ends, you can compost your decorations at home or drop them off at a commercial composting facility.

3. Light Responsibly If you decide to opt for lights, look for LEDs, which consume less energy than standard bulbs in strings of Halloween lights. You can also create dramatic, spooky lighting with natural candlelight. Opt for candles made from soy or beeswax rather than paraffin, as the latter contain non-renewable petroleum.

What are you doing to make things greener this Halloween? Share your story in the comments!