Eco-Friendly Halloween Ideas.

It's that time of the year again - spooky costumes and creepy crawlies all about the streets as both parents and children alike enjoy dressing up for Halloween!

If you're one of those eco-conscious people who believe that children do not need copious amounts of candy all in one go, here are 5 better options for giving away to the wee trick or treaters this year:

1. Honey Sticks.

Not only do they come in lots of various flavours, they are sweetened only by nature and made easy to consume. Readily available in most markets as well as coffee shops everywhere, these yummy treats are an ideal substitute to all that candy!

2. DIY Treats.

If you *must* give out sweets and treats, why not make your own? You can replace certain ingredients to create gluten free, lactose free and organic options, and even decorate them so they look ghoulish and spooky.

3. Jump Ropes and Hacky Sacks.

It is always a welcome idea to motivate children to move and be active. Hacky sacks, which are little rice or bean filled bags that are balanced on feet and kicked to one another, are a fun choice. They are available for purchase in bulk at most party-supply stores, can be easily made or purchased by local or online artisans. Jump ropes are also available in bulk but can easily be made by cutting thin rope elastic into 10 feet each, knotting the ends. Instant fun!

4. Art Supplies.

Children are naturally creative, and there is little out there more wonderful for a child than a surprise supply of art materials. There are tons of non-toxic options out there, but feel free to make your own - melting old and broken crayons into a cookie mould churns out adorable new sets to get busy with.

5. Homemade Granola Bars.

All you need are oats, nuts of your choice and some honey. All the ingredients are customisable (maple syrup instead of honey keeps this vegan, replace nuts with dates if there's an allergy precaution), and it's super easy to make! If you take time to do the research there are loads of no-bake, vegan, organic options. A yummy treat that doesn't result in tots bouncing off the walls!

A Green, Ghoulish Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner and we have everything you need from prep to clean up to ensure that your celebrations will be ghoulishly green!

Like many of our holidays, Halloween can be an expensive and wasteful experience. Don't let the commercialism take all the fun or eco-friendly opportunities out of it! Check out our simple tips to make sure you don't spook Mother Nature this October.

Green Halloween Costumes
Consider reusing or recycling costumes from previous years, or recycling old clothing into new costumes. Before you set out your paper recycling, set aside cardboard boxes and large pieces of paper that you can use to enhance ideas.

Green Halloween Treats
Instead of giving out high-sugar candy, consider giving pennies for UNICEF, pencils, erasers, or temporary tattoos. Besides reducing the waste of all the single-serving packaging, you’ll be providing a healthy alternative to candy. If your kids won’t let you give up food treats, consider small boxes of raisins or other semi sweet treats which have recyclable paper packaging.

Green Halloween Decorations
Halloween decorations can be natural and non-commercial, with gourds, pumpkins and Jack-o-Lanterns! Lower your emissions on Halloween by buying locally grown pumpkins, and then lower your waste by composting them after Halloween is over. Use recycled paper to make window decorations, and then send them on for another round of recycling after the holiday. Paper grocery bags can be cut and molded into spooky Halloween trees, masks, and painted white for ghostly effects.

Green Halloween Trick-or-Treating
Send your children trick-or-treating with reusable buckets, canvas bags or pillow cases. Lower emissions by trick-or-treating in your neighborhood and get to know your neighbors better by inviting them over for an old fashioned bobbing-for-apples competition at your house.

Green Halloween Party
Send electronic invitations instead of paper to lower waste. Instead of using plastic plates, cups and utensils, compostable silverware and party plates are now widely available. Go to your neighborhood store and purchase a pile of mismatched cloth napkins and then have guests toss them in a bin for washing and reusing at your next party. Be sure to recycle bottles and cans, and compost leftovers.

Green Halloween Cleanup
Once Halloween is over, recycle your pumpkins, the straw you used to build scarecrows and any other organic material by composting it. For inedible items, add them to your composting pile (or start composting now!) for great, nutrient rich soil in the spring.

If you have any further ideas to keep the festivities eco friendly, let us know! In the meantime, Trick or Treat!