While Halloween is a great time for kids and candy, my journey towards lower waste has made me rethink this classic traditionβ¦ All of that candy is wrapped in (you guessed it) plastic, which ends up in our landfills. Trick-or-treating is a highlight for many children, so it wouldn’t be fair to scrap the tradition altogether. This year, consider sustainable alternatives to Halloween candy that are not only better for the planet but also offer enjoyable treats for everyone. Here’s a complete list of eco substitutes:
Read More β₯Tag: halloween
bookmark_borderThe BEST Places to Buy Secondhand Halloween Costumes
Hey earth muffins! Halloween is a time to unleash your creativity and transform into someone or something entirely different for the night. Plus, it is just fun to dress up! While purchasing a brand new costume might be tempting, the more eco-friendly option is to find one secondhand. This is not only cost-effective but will make it easy to have a sustainable costume this year! In this blog post, we’ll explore the top places to find the best secondhand Halloween costumes – let’s jump right into it!
Read More β₯bookmark_borderHow to Dispose of Your Rotted Pumpkin After Halloween (The Sustainable Way!)
Hey earth muffins! Halloween is almost here – are you ready for lots of tricks and/or treats? My carved pumpkins are ready to go on my front steps… And (unfortunately) they are already starting to rot a bit. Once Halloween is over, it is important to figure out how to dispose of your jack-o-lanterns… The eco-friendly way of course! π Keep reading for the best, most sustainable ways to get rid of a rotted pumpkin.
1. Leave out your rotted pumpkin for the squirrels!
Why not leave out your pumpkins for the local animals and/or birds? This is an easy way to use your pumpkin guts when carving AND after Halloween is done. You might have noticed a few squirrels snacking on them already…. So leave out the pumpkin in your backyard, the forest surrounding your house, etc. for a nice little Halloween treat.
Read More β₯bookmark_border5 Ways to Use Pumpkin Guts After Carving!
Hey earth muffins! Halloween is just around the corner, which means it is almost time to start carving those jack-o-lanterns! Once the spooky faces are carved, one question remains: what should I do with the pumpkin guts?? Never fear, this post shares all the best ways to stay zero waste and utilize your whole pumpkin!
1. Make pumpkin seeds!
This is a no-brainer in my house. Once there is a big bowl of pumpkin guts on the table, we sift through and take out all the seeds. This can be time consuming but listening to some spooky songs definitely helps! After all the seeds have been set aside, rinse them off and roast in the oven. If you don’t have a favorite recipe for this, there are plenty on Pinterest that turn out great! Some even include seasonings to make your seeds even tastier.
Read More β₯bookmark_borderWhat to do with Leftover Halloween Candy!
Hey earth muffins! I am getting pretty excited now that Halloween is just around the corner! There are plenty of (safe and sustainable) ways to celebrate this year, what are your plans? Even though I recently shared tips for creating an eco-friendly costume, I don’t have any Halloween committments… Maybe I’ll relax with my boyfriend and watch some movies! π For today’s post I wanted to talk about an important topic: leftover Halloween candy.
Even if you use sustainable alternatives to traditional candy for the trick-or-treaters, you might still end up with excess candy in your house. If you bought that variety pack, we all have that one candy bar we don’t like… I recently bought my one bag of candy corn for the season and ate about 3/4 of it before I got sick of them. So, what can we do to prevent this candy from going to waste? It is safe to say that you should never throw away candy that you don’t want; this food waste can easily be solved with my suggestions below! π
What to do With Loose Candy
For things like my candy corn, I suggest incorporating them into your baked goods! The fall season is when I find myself baking the most, as I love the flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, and apple. There are definitely opportunities in these recipes to add some leftover candy inside! I recently made a batch of pumpkin chocolate swirl brownies; it would have been perfect to sprinkle some chopped up chocolate pieces or candy corn on top! If you don’t want to add the candy as a topping or incorporate into the batter, I suggest searching “leftover -insert candy’s name here-” on Pinterest.
On a similar note, use the candy in recipes for family, friends, or coworkers! I know many people are back to work, so surprise your office with a batch of cookies, brownies, etc. Make sure you are following the correct Mister Corona protocol though, as every workplace is dealing with the pandemic differently! While large gatherings are still frowned upon, I’ve seen many people hang out with friends in their Covid-free bubble. This is the perfect opportunity to bring along some snacks or dessert as well!
What to do With Leftover Packaged Candy
Because packaged candy hasn’t been germed up yet, there are a few more options compared to leftover loose candy. First, you can obviously use the packaged candy in baking as well. There are a bunch of candy bar desserts at many restaurants, so try making that Kit Kat Blizzard or Heath milkshake! π
Ask your family and friends what their favorite candy is. I bet your least favorite might be one they actually love! It seems like I often forget that just because I don’t like something I assume others don’t like it as well… But, we all have unique tastes. I remember in my trick-or-treating days I would trade candy with my family members so that everyone was happy with what they got!
Another great option is to donate your excess candy to Operation Gratitude! This program has been running since 2007 and allows you to gift your candy to military members or first responders. While you probably won’t be able to fill a whole care package yourself, I bet you could with the leftover candy from family and friends as well! The registration deadline to sign up for donating is 10/31, so make sure you decide early if this is what you want to do. β€οΈ If you want your candy to stay local, I suggest looking up candy drives from nonprofits/churches in your area.
On a similar note, use extra candy to fill a care package for someone who is far away. Mister Corona has truly kept families apart this year, so an extra special gift in the mail is always a pleasant surprise. My mom sent my boyfriend and I a care package this week, and it definitely made our day! π
You can also freeze the candy for later! I had never thought to do this until I was visiting my grandparent’s house a few years back. My grandpa was looking for something sweet and got a full jar of candy from his freezer! The expiration date for candy is many years because of how processed it is; so, keeping it in the freezer is a great way to save all of the excess from Halloween for a time when candy isn’t as common in the house. This is my personal favorite when avoiding the food waste of excess candy!
Lastly, if you must get rid of the candy try composting it instead of throwing it in the trash! Make sure you know what type of composting you are using, as some bins might not break down candy. I personally use a composting service, which would take the candy if needed (but come on, I’m definitely freezing it for later haha). What will you be doing with your leftover Halloween candy this year??
Love,
Jenna β₯
bookmark_borderIdeas for a Sustainable Halloween Costume!
Hey earth muffins! Halloween is almost here π While you might not be able to celebrate the way you usually do, there are still alternative options! One of my favorite ideas from my recent post is to host a virtual costume party. But, with any costume party you need one thing – a great costume!! Never fear, there are many great tips for having a sustainable costume; in this post, I will be sharing my favorite tricks for keeping your Halloween costume ideas green! π β€οΈ
Where to Sustainably Source Your Costume
–Try to piece together your own costume from things in your closet. You don’t need to buy an actual “Halloween costume”…. Just get creative and put together a look that is awesome! Last year I did this for my Mary Poppins look – and it turned out amazing. You’d be surprised at what you can find in your closet. π
–If you want a full costume, look at your local thrift stores! One of my favorite secondhand shops has a whole section of used (and even new) Halloween costumes for sale. Goodwill will often carry new products that are leftover inventory from other companies; check to see if your local Goodwill has some options!
–Ask your friends and family what costumes they have. You might be surprised at what people have in the back of their closets or in the basement. I know my dad has a bunch of random costumes from themed days at work; so I bet you might be able to find a full look to borrow for the night! This is also helpful if you are looking for Halloween costume ideas for your kids. Kids grow out of clothes fast, so it even might be a relief for your friend to get rid of something taking up space in their home.
–If you have the skills, trying sewing your costume! Most secondhand stores sell fabric, which would be perfect in constructing a new ensemble. I suggest going to a local thrift store for fabric (instead of a chain like Goodwill or Salvation Army), as I’ve found they have a better selection to choose from! This could definitely make a difference depending on what costume you are creating.
Other Ways to Keep Your Halloween Costume Ideas Eco-Friendly!
–Try to buy items for your costume that can be worn again! If you don’t have all the pieces in your own wardrobe, thrift the rest. I did this for my Mary Poppins costume; the top and skirt that I bought are perfect to wear to work after Halloween.
–If you are DIYing, avoid things like glitter or puffy paint. You want to make sure that you can either reuse the costume again or wear it on a day-to-day basis. Puffy paints usually get brittle and break off in the wash; glitter is just horrible in general haha. Pick fabric paints or paint pens instead!
–In terms of DIYs, also try to source your supplies secondhand! See what you already have in your craft bin(s), borrow from friends, find on Facebook Marketplace, or hit up a local thrift store that has lots of art supplies. There is no need to buy anything new for a costume you are going to wear for a few hours max. π»
–Don’t forget to think about what you are going to do with the costume after the party! DO NOT THROW IT AWAY. If the pieces can be put back into your closet, then make sure you wear them. If it is a full costume, maybe keep it for next year, donate it, or save it to pass on to a friend. Keep the reuse cycle alive!!
There are so many ways to keep your Halloween costume ideas sustainable this October 31st. I hope these tips were helpful as you brainstorm what costume you want to create. What are you going to be for Halloween this year??
Love,
Jenna β₯
bookmark_borderHow to Celebrate a Zero Waste Halloween!
Hey earth muffins, happy October! π I’m not sure how it is already a new month… I feel like September went by too fast. But, October is my favorite month of the year because FALL and HALLOWEEN. π While I’m sure the Halloween celebrations are going to be quite different this year, that doesn’t mean the holiday can’t be green and good for the planet! I’ve been adding a bunch of things to my autumn bucket list; so, I thought I’d share some fun zero waste halloween activities with you all today!
Eco-Friendly Fall Activities
Support a local farmer by heading to their pumpkin patch and picking out a pumpkin. Set up a night where you carve pumpkins with whomever you are living with! I personally like to put on an autumn themed “fireplace” on the TV and crank up the Halloween tunes (especially the Charlie Brown soundtrack) as I carve! After the carving is finished, I suggest watching a classic movie like Ichabod Crane or Hocus Pocus (affiliate link).
Explore a local park and take a walk to soak up the fall colors! Don’t listen to music or a podcast; instead, take in the cool weather and the beauty around you. π If you are looking for some new Insta content, try utilizing the self timer on your phone for some fun fall pics.
Do some fall baking with pumpkin puree. I’ve made my own puree from pumpkins before, and it is actually super simple and fun to do! Pumpkin recipes are always my absolute favorite in the fall, from cookies to pie – I love it all! Check out my recipe board on Pinterest for inspiration, as I’ve been pinning a lot of fall things recently.
Hit up a local apple orchard and pick your favorite apples! Most places are pay by weight, so bring your own basket/bag (if allowed of course). There is a local orchard near me that also has a corn maze, so take advantage of any other fall activities you find when you get there!
Zero Waste Halloween Fun!
For starters, look into what your town is doing regarding trick-or-treating this year. If there is some option for you to participate, then pass out some sustainable alternatives to individually wrapped candy! Trick-or-treating might not be happening everywhere due to Mister Corona, so take the advice of your city/township.
To spread some Halloween cheer, make some boo-grams or Halloween cards for family and friends. I’ve found some pretty great secondhand cards at thrift stores, but homemade ones are even better! Make sure you have crafted the cards early, as you will want to send them out before the holiday. Wouldn’t want them to show up late! π
If you want to celebrate with friends on Halloween, try hosting a virtual costume contest through Zoom or Skype. Have everyone sign on wearing an outfit they think will win; take turns individually showing off the looks! Either have people set aside as judges or have each person vote for their favorite look (don’t let them vote for themselves!). Make sure there is a fun prize for the winner – I suggest a gift card or eco-friendly gift basket! π₯
Overall, there are so many fun things to do this fall! While the Halloween parties might be at a minimum this year, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate at home. What are your plans for a zero waste Halloween this year? Get creative – I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments! π
Love,
Jenna β₯