This Halloween many people -adults and children alike- will no doubt be thinking of dressing up for Halloween.
There’s no denying it can be fun. Anything involving sugary treats and fancy dress can be fun! Likewise if you’ve got babies or young children you can make them look super cute- and older kids and teens will no doubt be invited to some kind of event or wish to go trick or treating locally.
In every shop you visit you’ll be confronted by costumes of all colours and themes. Not to mention at rock bottom prices. But let’s stop for one minute and think about the potential impact of Halloween on the planet. These facts from the Fairyland Trust speak for themselves:
Truly shocking. But what’s the answer? Thankfully we’ve got a few ideas for you to help you still have fun but reduce potential waste at Halloween.
- Short on time? Source secondhand. Look on local buy/ sell groups, Facebook marketplace or even charity shops for preloved costumes. Most charity shops put donated costumes to one side and put them all out at this time of year. Much cheaper too! Then pass on when you are done. There’s a local group to be found here.
- Create your own. Look at things you already own and create your own costume. An old bed sheet, some talc and chains of grey paper and you’ve got yourself a ghost. An old outfit with some added rips, messed up hair, and a bit of red lipstick for blood and you have a zombie. Rather than buying face paint, look to use up old make up if you have any. Or bring out the same face paint palette year after year.
- Use natural materials. Straw for a spooky scarecrow, pine cones and twigs with twine for a forest beast, you could even mix a bit of sand and brown paint mixed in pva and dabbed on for a mud monster effect! Not forgetting wool, moss and feathers which are all plastic free.
These are just three possible strategies when it comes to costumes. But maybe look for low waste options for treats to give out too- buy sweets loose from us at Zero instead of individually wrapped, make small cakes or energy balls, even give out fruit (sorry if this gets your house egged!). Plus don’t forget to eat your scooped out pumpkin flesh in a pie, cake, risotto or soup. There are some great ideas here for starters, and don’t forget we stock most of the other dry ingredients you might need too!
In conclusion- if you plan to do something this Halloween, just try and be mindful of your waste. It doesn’t mean you can’t get involved, but even a small change can make a big difference.
Zero 