Pumpkins, decorations and costumes make Halloween a frightfully fun time of the year but can also create a lot of extra waste. The Royal Borough of Greenwich is encouraging residents to think green this Halloween (31 October) with a few simple tricks to make your spooky season more sustainable.
Councillor Jackie Smith, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business, Skills and Greenwich Supports, said “We’re committed to building a cleaner, greener Greenwich for everyone. By reusing, recycling and getting creative this Halloween, we can all reduce waste and protect the environment, whilst having fun and saving money too. Small changes like these really do make a difference.”
Check out our top recycling tips to make sure your Halloween is ghoulishly green...
Make your own decorations
Use cardboard toilet roll tubes and paint them into ghosts, witches and zombies. Put sweets in them and place them around the house for spooky hide and seek.
Create ghosts from sheets or cloths you don’t mind cutting up or painting. Great for costumes too.
Create papier-mâché monsters by using a bit of flour, water and newspaper.
Use reusable LED tea lights instead of candles.
Use paper or cardboard to create paper bats to be hung around the house.
Make the most of your pumpkins
After carving, turn the insides into soup or make pumpkin pie! You can also clean, salt and roast the seeds for a lovely treat.
Create a pumpkin birdfeeder. Take the ‘lid’ off your pumpkin and add some string and hang from a branch or plant. Fill with birdseeds to attract feathered friends.
If you don’t use your pumpkin, put it in your green top bin for food and garden waste.
Get creative with costumes
Halloween costumes create around 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year. Help stop this from happening!
Browse your local charity shop for pre-loved ghoulish clothes or mix and match clothes to create your perfect costume.
Have fun making your own.
Organise a ‘swap shop’ to allow children to choose and exchange items with their friends' costumes from last year!
For more tips on reducing your waste, visit royalgreenwich.gov.uk/recycling