by Robin Fiedler

For Trick-or-Treat, consider dressing up as Al Gore and handing out copies of An Inconvenient Truth. Okay, maybe not. The message may be too scary, but you can do a few eco-friendly tricks on All Hallow’s Eve. pumpkin-patch

Costumes – the worst costume is the synthetic fabric, wear it one-time throw away. If you can afford it, buy one made from natural fibers, such as cotton or linen, or buy everyday clothes and adapt them into a costume, such as green pants, green shirt, and a jacket. Add white face make-up and red lips, and you’re the Joker. Add green face paint and a pot of gold, and you’re a leprechaun.  Aaron Lancaster from the University of Georgia suggests that after the festivities you should donate costumes and “accessories to day care centers, schools or community theaters.”

Pumpkins –the US Census Bureau reports that the” total production of pumpkins by major-pumpkin producing states in 2008” was 1.1 billion pounds, most of which is consumed during the Fall holidays. “Tips for Supporting a Green Halloween” from the Medical University of South Carolina reminds us to buy from local pumpkin patches or farmer’s markets to save on fuel transportation costs.

After carving your pumpkin, The Nature Conservancy says, “The National Zoo also recommends roasting your pumpkin's seeds at 250 degrees for one hour to serve as a tasty snack for birds and other wildlife throughout the winter.” You can eat them as well, or pack them as lunch snacks for the kids.

An alternative to jack-o-lanterns is apples. Peel the apple, coat with lemon juice and salt and then carve a face in it. Lancaster offers more creativity by inserting “cloves into the carved eye socket to make beady eyes. Rice creates the teeth.” After 2 weeks, it will shrivel to look like an eerie shrunken head.  A few of them on the front porch will turn heads!

When Halloween is over, dump the pumpkin, apples, straw, Indian corn, etc.  into the corner of the yard for a compost pile as “a treat for passing wildlife,” according to The Nature Conservancy.

Treat Bags – I used an old pillowcase when I was a kid; it held more candy than a plastic bag, which is an offense against nature.  Lancaster agrees, “Use canvas bags, pillowcases or reusable buckets to collect goodies.” Kids can decorate their own pillowcases or canvas bags to go with their costumes.

Lights: Finally, The Nature Conservancy admits that “ it wouldn't be Halloween without spooky lights and flickering candles. Choose green options,  such as beeswax candles .”  The Medical University of South Carolina also promotes using soy candles for pumpkins, noting that “wax candles are made from petroleum that unleashes the equivalent of diesel exhaust.”  We all know about rechargeable batteries, but Lancaster mentions that “even better are hand-crank and magnetic flashlights, which don’t need batteries at all.”

For the best eco-friendly Halloween atmosphere, just turn off the lights!

Footnotes:
Lancaster, Aaron. “Remember to Think ‘Green’ this Halloween.” The University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. 21 Oct. 2004. http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/pdf/2367.pdf

“Enviro-Tips October: Green your Halloween.” The Nature Conservancy. 2009. http://support.nature.org/site/PageServer?pagename=envirotips_200710&autologin=true

“Tips for Supporting a Green Halloween.” The Catalyst: Medical University of South Carolina. 24 Oct. 2008. http://www.musc.edu/catalyst/archive/2008/co10-24tips.html

United States Census Bureau. “Facts for Features: Halloween” 31 Aug. 2009. Newsroom: US Censes Bureau. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/014211.html

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