Green Halloween

Go Green This Halloween

Halloween can be a great excuse to throw a party and have a good time, but its impact on the environment can be scary if not planned correctly. From invitations to costumes and even the treats, it is possible to hold a spooktacular event without creating a trash monster.

Invitations

Getting the word out about the gathering is critical to having a good turnout, but sending paper invitations to guests can be wasteful. Look for other options.

• Go digital – Send guests an e-mail invitation. There are a variety of ways to dress them up and add Halloween-themed graphics or photos. Several websites also provide templates invitations that can be personalized and sent out.
• Dual purpose – For guests that do not have e-mail, decorate a canvas or paper bag with all the details and let them know they should bring it to the party to use for taking leftovers or treats home afterward.
• Paper – If traditional invitations are desired, look for ones using recycled paper or those made from a sustainable resource other than trees, such as hemp.

Costumes

Pretending to be someone, or something, else is all part of the fun of a Halloween party. However, buying a new costume just for the event is expensive and wasteful. Include some of these suggestions on the guest invitations so everybody is on the same page.

• Make your own – Look in the closet for clothes that aren’t worn anymore and come up with an idea for a costume. Thrift stores are also a great source of second-hand clothing. Once used, the costumes can be donated back to the thrift stores for further use, rather than being tossed away. This will also ensure the costume is original.
• Recycle – If costumes have been bought in the past, mix and match different parts of them to create something completely new and fresh.

Decorations

Creating the appropriately spooky atmosphere is critical to a successful Halloween party.

• Lighting – Candles, when used safely, provide perfect mood lighting. To be as environmentally safe as possible, buy candles made from beeswax or sustainably-produced soy. Avoid those made from petroleum.
• Use nature – Jack-o-lanterns are a traditional part of fall and can be incorporated into the décor. They can provide some additional lighting and can be composted after the party, or the season, is over.

Treats

Food and sweat treats will be expected at the celebration, but that doesn’t necessarily mean buying dozens of bags of candy.

• Organic – Look for candy that uses all natural ingredients or bake cookies using organic ones.
• Reduce waste – Look for items that have recyclable wrappers.
• Make it seasonal – Seek out foods that are specialties of the season, usually containing apples or pumpkins. Set out a veggie tray using garden vegetables or those bought at a local farmers market.Halloween began as a celebration of the fall harvest so it only makes sense to be aware of the natural environment when throwing a festive party. With a little advance planning and creativity, an eco-themed party can be a lot of fun and leave a minimal footprint on the planet.

This is a guest post by Emma Wilton, who is looking forward to her eco-friendly Halloween party. She has used halloweenpartyideas.org to get some ideas for traditional party games and homemade foods.

Saving The Landfills-One Antique At A Time

I was beating myself up for backsliding. I've been trying to go green, but old habits die hard, and when I get busy I revert to my "evil" ways. Life turned into a whirlwind, and I turned to convenience. I felt that all my efforts to conserve had been in vain. As I was wandering around the house, I glanced around and found a way to instantly make myself feel better. All of the furniture that I have is "old." I realized that I've been single-handedly saving the landfills for more than thirty years!

That's not to say that my house is a "dump!" However, you can walk through every room in my house and see that nine out of every ten pieces of furniture is "recycled." I like to call it "vintage furnishings," because that sounds a heck of a lot better than "used junk." I don't think we have bought any furniture or decor that was new in more than six years.

You'll have to believe me when I tell you that folks like the look I have created. Our friends say that our house is "amazingly eclectic." They aren't just trying to find ways to be polite, because some of them have offered to buy furniture we have (and when refused are now looking for pieces like it on Craigslist.org). They will have to look long and hard to find furnishings similar to mine.

This "shoe" was once a display rack at a department store. I found it under a pile of junk at a thrift store. Now, it dominates my kitchen as a spice rack. It's only one of the pieces that people envy.

Why am I bragging about all of this? Because every piece of used furniture that we bring home to "adopt" is one less item in a landfill. How many times have you seen used couches sitting by the curb waiting for a trash truck to take them to the dump? It's hard to sell a used couch and get money for it, but an ad on Freecycle might find a very grateful person who would love that orange plaid!

Our own neighbor decided to re-do the dining room and hauled a set of six Queen Anne dining chairs to the curb. The seats needed to be re-covered, there were a few nicks in the wood (which gave them character), but they were in very good condition. Did we haul them away before the trash truck came? You betcha.

I'm not opposed to going through someone else's trash to find the treasure. I have a wonderful redwood chair, a fountain for my garden, wooden apple boxes with the logos (they are perfect to hold a stack of books), and much more that I gleaned from the curbside.

Garage sales, antique stores, flea markets, thrift stores ... they often contain wonderful discoveries. You can get nearly anything you need "used," if you have the patience to look for it.

Although my house will never look like a magazine spread, it is comfortable, it reflects our personalities, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I recycled without realizing I was even doing it. Call that old junk "vintage" and you are in business! You can decorate your house and help me in my quest to save the dumps by recycling old furniture. I'll see you Saturday at the sales!

I feel so virtuous now.

© Shelly Tucker, 2009

Baby Steps To Going Green At The Grocery Store

I'm looking at my attempts to "go green" as if I'm going on a "diet," because in a sense I am: an "energy diet." Successful dieters know that in order to lose weight they have to monitor how many calories they are consuming. They know that by making small changes and turning those changes into habits, they can achieve their goals. I’ve decided that to reduce my carbon footprint I need to do the same. I need to know what I’m consuming and make small changes -- baby steps, to ensure my success.

Lately, I've been looking at my grocery shopping as an area on which to concentrate. Everything that we purchase has a cost to the environment. It all adds up: the milk we drink for breakfast, the plastic jug that contains it, the plastic bag that brought it home. Every one of those things has a negative impact on the planet because of the greenhouse gasses that procuring them releases.

I hear what you are thinking. “Shelly, I can see the plastic jug and bag … but surely not the milk? That's udderly ridiculous!”

Darn tootin’ it's true… literally! Those cows, and other livestock, produce methane gasses and more CO2 emissions than our transportation methods. Ruminants, such as cows, sheep and goats are responsible for more than 1/3 of methane emissions which are 20 times more powerful at trapping solar energy than carbon dioxide.

Scientists have discovered that feeding cattle the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oils not only makes the cows more healthy, but significantly reduces those emissions. Not just in the cows, but in us!

Now, it makes sense to cut back on our consumption of meats (except for bacon, of course) just from a health standpoint – but it is also good for the environment and your pocketbook! My first change in my shopping habits began in the Meat Department.

We no longer “feature” meat at a meal. Years ago, our plates were covered with a huge slab of beef with a tablespoon or two of vegetables on the side. That's just the way that Texans ate in the days when I was young. Now, I use meat in casseroles, stir fry meals, or serve us the proper serving (about the size of a deck of cards). It’s helping with my grocery bill, my weight, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I’m helping the environment as well.
Less demand = less production = less cow farts.
There is no nice way to say it.

In the Produce Section of the store, I'm changing habits as well. I'd love to buy only organic vegetables, but sometimes the cost is astronomical. Also, some of that organic produce is trucked to Texas from California. Which is more harmful -- the chemicals or the gasoline emissions? I have no clue.

My solution is to buy organic produce that is in season and locally grown. If I can't find it at the grocery store, I go to the Farmer's Market during summer months and pray that the farmer didn't douse the produce with pesticides. I'm also trying to grow a few of my own vegetables! I've got tomato plants in pots on the porch that already have tiny tomatoes. I can almost taste them now.

Rest assured that I avoid those "gassy" vegetables like cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and asparagus! Far be it from me to add to the greenhouse gasses!

Throughout the rest of the store, I'm concentrating on packaging. I'm learning to "pre-cycle." Thorne makes a good case for it in her Trash Thursday post, The Poop on Plastic. Although we recycle, our city's collection service doesn't take the thin plastics. I'm searching for products with less packaging (when I can find it). I'm astounded by the packaging on paper towels!

OK, I know that if I were really serious about going green I wouldn't even be looking at paper towels ... I'm slowing down on my use of them, but I can't give up the convenience yet. Some paper towel brands wrap each roll in plastic, and then encase all twelve rolls in another yard or two of plastic wrap. I promise I avoid those brands.

If I had grandchildren, I'd recycle those plastic milk jugs to make them an igloo! It would be a much tinier igloo, because we don't drink that much milk.

I also make certain to carry my cloth bags with me to the store. Friends tell me that they often forget to take them. I've trained myself by writing "grocery bags" at the top of every grocery list. I also keep one cloth bag stashed right by my car seat, so that I can't miss seeing it when I get out of the car.

Although these changes might not seem like much, in fact they seem like baby steps, I've convinced myself that every little change I make is one for a better planet.

© Shelly Tucker, 2009