Determined not to be out-done by our American friends, we've really upped the stakes on Halloween here in the UK, and what was once no more than a bit of fun for the very young has now become a major highlight of the year. And like any other event on a large scale, that means a lot of potential for waste.
Follow the jump for a few tips on greening up your spooky celebrations without losing any of the fun.
Don't send cards!
The next rung on the ladder for halloween as an event card-sending. It's not yet become the norm to send Halloween cards in Britain, and let's try and keep it that way! Of course, if you want to make your own using recycled or found materials, that's entirely up to you. But we already create such a mountain of paper waste with our cards at Christmas that we really can't afford to have a similar postal onslaught in October.
If you're having a party, send invites out on email
...Or on facebook, which is still one of the best online event-planning tools I've used. If you want something a little more in keeping with the theme, plenty of websites will make up spooky email invites for you that are a lot of fun to create. One is Castlemountains, which has page upon page of halloween designs for electronic invites, including animations.
Serve healthy and seasonal foods
At this time of year, the options are endless. Remember pumpkins are not just decorative items: their tender flesh can be pureed for soups, mashed for pies or spiced up for a main entrée, such as a curry. Healthy recipes for all things pumpkin are posted at Vegweb, from vegetarian pumpkin chili to "Stroke of Midnight" pumpkin bread. Don't forget the seeds are edible too: if you haven't got time to bake them and serve as a tasty snack for guests, your feathered friends in the garden will be grateful of them.
Apples also are at their best this time of year. So make use of them! Make sure any apples you buy in for bobbing, etc are organic, and locally-sourced because that way you'll get the best and freshest varieties -- you should be able to find these at your local farmer's market. Fill party bowls with several varieties of fresh apples, from tart Pippins to sweet Spartans. Serve cider hot or cold. Bake a few apples for healthy, tasty dessert.
Use re-usable plates, cups, utensils, napkins and tablecloths.
Paper party goods can be expensive and just add more clutter to landfill. If you must bring in extra to cater for a lot of guests, check out the sustainably-made, biodegradable selection available at Eco My Party. You'll also find FSC certified balloons and other greener party decorations here.
Make your own costume or buy one at a second-hand shop
An old sheet still makes a great ghost. Just make sure that the sheet cost less than a shop-bought ghost costume!
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