Tricks and Treats for Halloween

Halloween should give you some good scares, not actually anything to worry about. For a safe and ecofriendly holiday, try these tips:

• Set a spooky mood with soy or beeswax candles, not those made from petroleum-based paraffin. If you like scented candles, look for ones with fragrances derived from essential oils rather than synthetic chemicals.
• Invest creativity instead of cash in your costume. Dig into the back of the closet (yours or a friend's) or hit the thrift store to find wacky clothes and accessories instead of buying plastic costumes. Need inspiration? The Green Guide and Care2 have clever DIY ideas that can be great projects for adults and kids. (You can make your own decorations too.)
• Avoid masks made out of vinyl. Latex ones are safer, unless you're allergic to the material.
• Whether you're going glamorous or ghoulish, use natural makeup to avoid chemical exposure.
• Hand out fair trade or organic chocolates, organic hard candy, fruit snacks, or other ecofriendly edibles to all those cute trick-or-treaters. Global Exchange evens sells a Fair Trade Trick or Treat Action Kit that includes individually wrapped chocolates along with Halloween-themed informational postcards.
• Worried about rotting those little monsters' teeth? Fun nonfood alternative treats include nontoxic crayons, coloring books, stickers, or even small change.
• Whether for dressing up or handing out, avoid costume jewelry, especially glossy, fake painted pearls and toys from vending machines, both of which may contain lead. There were almost 30 recalls of lead-containing children’s products this year, so use a LeadCheck kit if you're unsure about a toy your child already owns.
• Look up some recipes for pumpkin pie, soup, or curry so your decoration doesn't go to waste after Halloween. (Not much of a chef? Compost that jack-o-lantern, at least.)
• Don't forget a reusable shopping bag to carry your trick-or-treating haul!

Comments

[Dominique]

Great info here :)

BTW, glad to learn that people think "Green".

[ILRF]

This Halloween, take a stand against child labor in the cocoa industry and for fair trade and sustainable chocolate!

Go Reverse Trick or Treating! Sign up for your FREE fair trade chocolate and postcards and find out more at http://www.ReverseTrickOrTreating.org!

Also, check out a new statement on ethical cocoa resourcing signed by over 40 organizations and fair trade companies here: http://www.laborrights.org/press/ChildLabor/cocoa/JointCocoaStatement_ilrfpr_101207.pdf

Finally, check out this blog entry with more Halloween tips!: http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2007/10/make-your-hallo.html

[Jenn]

Great tips - I'll be handing out non-toxic crayons this year - thanks!

[Stephanie]

Great suggestions! We're passing out Play-Doh instead of candy.

[proudtreehugger]

Thanks for the tips. I use electric jack-o-lanterns more often now because they are less dangerous and look very real!

[Gloria E]

This year I collected stuffed animals at garage sales and thrift stores to hand out to trick or treaters. The theme is reuse, and also avoid the suger issue. Also the money I spent was equal or less than what I used to purchase candy with in years past!

[Matt in SF]

I agree with most all of the ideas and comments associated with this article. This year I will offer seeds from my organic garden, organic cotton clothing from my friend's company, and homemade organic goodies to my colleagues' children who come to our annual Halloween party at our office. So I'm in tune with a "green" Halloween.

Some things remain pet peeves of mine. proudtreehugger wrote, "The theme is reuse, and also avoid the suger issue."

I must admit my difficulty in reading beyond such abysmal spelling. Was this person homeschooled in a forest?

[James]

Even greener than a shopping bag:

We always used pillowcases; reuse and reduce!

[mary]

"Was this person homeschooled in a forest?" Ha,ha. That was funny.
As an English teacher, I am bugged by misspelling, too. Just to give the misspeller the benefit of the doubt, English might be his/her second language.
Hooray for a green Halloween! Spread the word. Old habits die hard. I'll try a couple of these tips and use more of them next year when I have time to plan. Thanks for all the ideas & info--especially about fair trade chocolate issues and options.

[Andrew]

Good topic. It's so easy to forget the "little" consumption holidays, but when you multiply it all by millions of trick-or-treaters...

I'm not so impressed by the cheap shots at proudtreehugger. Might "suger" be a TYPO? Spellcheckers have left many of us inattentive. Even if not, perfect spelling is an object of pride in a fourth grade spelling bee; in an adult it is at best petty virtue.

Finally, "homeschooled in a forest"? So you think homeschoolers are stupid? And "in a forest," I suppose that's snobbery towards rural folk. How sad that you have to undergird your petty orthographic (look it up) (Gee, don't long words like good spelling make me more impressive?) protest with bigotry.

I'm not getting any ego points out of writing this, just giving you a taste of what you doled out. It is tempting to point out the errors in your posts, but then I would BE you. Perhaps it is your yearning to have accomplished more in life than inspires you to such self-complimentary nonsense. Grow up.

[21stCenturyMom]

Another great place to get natural candy is from www.naturalcandystore.com. They have chococates, gummies and hard candies, among other things.

[Amy Reynolds]

We are two mom's that created fabric trick or treat bags. They are super cute Halloween themed trick or treat bags that can be used every year instead of plastic bags. They are also the perefect size to fit the kids costumes, books, etc for the holiday season. It really is a fun way to re-cycle. I love Halloween so it's great to get tips on how to Go Green with everything you do!

[Simple Green Choices]

Great tips! But i think it is not easy to talk little girls out of wearing costume jewelry.

[Rolando]

Is that time of the year again. Time to dress up and get candy and give candy. Me and my kids always have fun at this time of year dressing up.

[Rachael]

Thanks for the information...I bookmarked your site, and I appreciate your time and effort to make your blog a success!

[Facial Aging Cream]

Halloween's always a good time. My Son always gets excited every year.

[Me]

Last year, we made donuts -- and had a few backup goodies for the surprisingly few people who preferred a packaged treat.

Our favorite non-food treat is glow sticks -- the kids love them, and they increase visibility/safety. Don't know there's an eco-friendly version, though.