Be Green and avoid the waste monster this Halloween!

Halloween is a seasonal day enjoyed by children and adults alike, but it can create a lot of waste. Costumes, decorations, and sweet treats top the list of a spooktacular Halloween.

Veolia in South Downs is encouraging residents to reduce, reuse and recycle for a Green Halloween. So why not try out some of these top tips:
 
Costumes
• When it comes to being green with costumes, give costume customisation a go. Homemade costumes are often made from materials that you already have in your own home, wardrobes or scraps bags
• Another option would be to borrow or swap costumes with a friend, or purchase a used costume at a charity shop instead of buying a new one
 
Decorations
• Milk bottles can be decorated with pens and become the ghostly lanterns*
• Nature’s favourite ‘green’ Halloween decoration is the pumpkin! They can be grown at home and look fantastic as a natural decoration as they grow. They can then be carved, used for pumpkin seeds, and then easily composted*.
 
Trick-or-Treating
• Instead of buying a fancy bag for your little goblin’s trick -or-treating, opt for a reusable bag, a decorated ice cream tub, or whatever was used the year before
• When giving sweets out from your own haunted house, try to offer items with little packaging or better yet, give useful treats like pencils or pens
 
Don’t be a scaredy-cat! This Halloween, think about how your family can change just one habit to be more environmentally friendly and less wasteful.
 
General Manager for Veolia South Downs Allan Key said: “Avoid the waste monster this Halloween by reducing your family’s waste. Try recycling and upcycling previous year’s costumes and reusing what you already have, you will reduce the amount bought and produce less waste to dispose of or recycle later.”
 
*we strongly recommend torches or battery operated tealights to light these.