The most frightening thing about Halloween is the waste. From plastic decorations to synthetic costumes and individually wrapped sweets, the whole thing can be an environmental shocker.
For a festival whose origins are rooted in nature, Halloween has taken an alarming turn. At its heart is a celebration of the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. Samhain was when the Celts believed the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest. Bonfires were lit and straw and natural wicker costumes were worn to ward off spirits. But Halloween these days doesn’t so much celebrate nature as troll it. Welcome to “bigHalloween”.
Scary stories by a flickering fire? There’s no money in that. That’s why manufacturers and retailers have killed Halloween and replaced it with big Halloween. If your school, sports club or neighbourhood is organising a Halloween shindig, it can be hard not to buy into it all. The pressure exerted on us to have a big Halloween is fierce.
In the aisles of one large German discounter this month, you’ll find everything from flimsy plastic trick-or-treat buckets, to single-use Halloween-themed window stickers, to red flashing LED drinking straws that scream when used. They even sell Halloween costumes for your dog.
A homegrown retailer is selling a fully synthetic “Day of the Dead” dress costume for children aged five to 13. Made from 100 per cent non-biodegradable polyester, its manufacture uses a frighteningly big amount of energy, polluting water and air in the process.
Your child will outgrow it by next year, but this polyester phantasm is going to last decades – and not in a good way. Bin it and it won’t go away. It won’t break down and can’t be recycled, adding to the planet’s mounting graveyard of waste.
There are more nature-friendly ways to celebrate Halloween, says Fingal Public Participation Network (PPN), an independent network of community, voluntary, social inclusion and environmental organisations, working to build a better county for the community of Fingal. It’s promoting a smaller, more mindful celebration.
Instead of buying new, single-use items, get creative with what you already own, says Fingal PPN.
If your kid loves their sports kit for example, add some face or body paint and your camogie player can be a ‘Zombie camogie player’. Old bedsheets are always a winner too.
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Conscious of waste and cost, an increasing number of libraries, sports clubs and schools are organising community costume swaps too. It’s not too late to hit Whatsapp and organise your own.
Trick-or-treating is all part of the festive fun, but do we really need to go that big on confectionery? Individually wrapped sweets and small packets of jellies create a lot of litter and waste too.
You can make things more sustainable by opting for fewer, plastic-free treats. And instead of using plastic buckets or bags to gather spoils, encourage reusable cloth bags or pillowcases for trick-or-treating, says Fingal PPN.
Selling home and garden decorations are another way that retailers want neighbours to go big at Halloween. One supermarket chain is selling 10 metres of orange, plastic tape with “DANGER ZONE” emblazoned on it. Your house draped in this is an environmental hazard all right.
This year, why not signal your love for Halloween and for the planet with more sustainable decorations. Reuse items from around the house, says Fingal PPN. Old fabric can be turned into spooky ghosts, or scrap paper can be cut into bats or spiders, Fingal suggests.
If you must use lighting, opt for energy-efficient LED lights, Fingal advises. They use far less energy and last longer than traditional lights.
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Before buying any Halloween item, think about its life cycle, says Fingal PPN. Ask yourself: is this item made from sustainable, eco-friendly materials, can it be reused or repurposed for next year and is there a local, eco-conscious alternative to what I’m buying?
If you’re hosting a party or organising a community event, invite guests to come in costumes made from reused materials. Post-Halloween, arrange a neighbourhood clean-up to pick up litter.
If each of us makes a few small changes, the big environmental impact of Halloween can be made smaller, says Fingal PPN.
“Sustainability doesn’t mean giving up the fun; it simply means celebrating in a way that’s mindful of our planet.”
