8 Tips for An Eco-Friendly Halloween Party

Decided what you're going to be this year? I love coming up with my own costume ideas, and rarely buy anything for them other than a few accessories. This year I'm going to a Halloween ball as a corpse bride - I just have to make the veil and I'm ready to go!

For many adults and children alike Halloween is the best holiday of the year.  With all the candy and costumes and parties, it’s an immensely fun time.  Now you can enhance the fun by eliminating waste and any associated guilt by throwing a zero-waste eco-friendly Halloween party!  Here are some tips:

Halloween Costumes (Photo credit: Transguyjay)

#1.  Start with the invitations.  Electronic invitations or evites are invitations without paper.  They’re sent via email.  That means no trees are cut down in the name of your party.

#2.  Give it a home-made theme.  Encourage attendees to make their costumes themselves from things they have lying around the house. You could even hold a contest for the most eco-friendly costume.

#3.  Use recycled or reusable party ware.  Plates, napkins, glasses and all party decorations can be made from recycled materials or use your own plates, cloth napkins and cups.  You an also buy compostable party ware, like plates and cups made from corn.

#4.  Decorate with natural items like soy candles, jack-o-lanterns and cotton webbing instead of synthetic (the cotton kind, and your jack-o-lanterns, can be composted). 

Jack-o-lantern (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#5.  Compost leftovers.  Composting is a great way to make use of leftovers and you can use the finished compost to help indoor and outdoor plants thrive.

#6.  Play games.  Games are part of a fun party and guess what?  Bobbing for apples has zero waste if you use the leftover water to water your plants.  Charades and scavenger hunts also have zero waste.

#7.  Recycle anything that cannot be reused.  For example, if you purchase soda or juice for the party you can recycle the containers.  Or you can use them to create compost scoops, bird feeders, piñatas, or bat houses to keep with the Halloween theme.

#8.  Finally, consider only serving natural foods without wrappers. Home-made caramel corn, candy apples and apple pies are all delicious treats.  There’s no waste and not a chance that there will be any leftovers!

Halloween is a great time of the year - one of my favorite holidays.  The air is crisp, children are laughing and everyone gets one night to play make-believe.  Enjoy your Halloween and throw an eco-friendly party this year!