[photo by Becky Striepe]
Halloween is probably my very favorite holiday. I just love carving a pumpkin, putting on a costume, and playing make believe. Of course, this meant I was overjoyed to stumble upon Green Halloween, an organization aimed at promoting what they call “The Three G’s:
- Good for People – Including the people who make, grow or sell the products we consume or use. Also good for us and our families. Healthy treats and treasures fall under this category.
- Good for Planet – Includes making choices that have the least impact on the Earth during the lifespan (beginning to end) of that choice or product.
- Good for the Community – Including making choices and supporting businesses whose business practices and products support the well being of communities such as via monetary contributions to worthy causes.”
The project started when Bellvue, WA resident Corey Colwell-Lipson took her kids trick-or-treating in 2006. Among the tooth-rotting, over-packaged mini candy bars her daughter received treats from a few homes such as bubbles and stickers. She was thrilled that folks were “thinking outside of the candy box,” and it got her thinking about Halloween as a whole. The Green Halloween site is an amazing, comprehensive resource for parents, kids and schools that want to make the holiday more healthy for both trick-or-treaters and the planet.
Tips for parents include hosting a green Halloween party, treat and costume ideas, a DIY section, and Halloween energy-saving tips. I love that one of her green party activities is good ol’ bobbing for (organic) apples! She also suggests candles, solar, and LED lights as decoration, rather than the typical incandescent-lit fare along with other fabulous, energy-saving ideas.
The site’s kids portion encourages the little ones to get involved. There is a Trick or Treat for Good section that includes a few charities kids can collect for on Halloween, rather than gathering candy. She also highlights examples of Kids Doing Green to get them inspired!
For schools, the site offers tips and tricks for teachers and inspiration from other schools. Ideas for teachers range from serving healthy, organic treats to a candy wrapper purse project for teens. Some of these ideas would probably work outside of school, as well.
What are you doing to have a greener Halloween?