“Mom, this is not very much decorating,” our youngest declared as we set out our Halloween decorations.
Compared to his favorite Halloween house with a lawn full of inflatable witches, pirate ghosts, Frankenstein, and a giant grim reaper… I suppose our little skeletons sitting in a fall-themed wreath and one string of orange spider web LED lights is less than “spooktacular” in his eyes.
But how do you tell a child that conventional Halloween is harder to pull off when you’re trying to live more eco-consciously? Although conventional Christmas has turned into a consumerism fest, it at least provides an opportunity to show kids how wonderful it feels to give.
But what is Halloween’s worthy cause?
Getting sugar into the hands of needy kids?
The school lunch fruit cup is already swimming in syrup. And these days it doesn’t take a holiday to warrant picking up a king size Kit-Kat in the grocery checkout.
But like our friends over at Green Halloween, we’re convinced you can find a way to balance the fun of this holiday without all the frightful waste and overindulgence.
But back to the inflatables…
Our little guy still has stars in his eyes when he sees the giant black cat down the street. So I try to explain… “Yeah, they are cool and scary! But you know why most of the time they just stay in a heap on the yard? Because to keep them inflated, they have to run an electric pump all the time, and that wastes a lot of power and isn’t good for the earth.”
We asked our readers what they think of inflatable lawn decorations for Halloween. Their answers were….
“We have lost creativity.” ~ Valerie T.
“Wastes electricity.” ~ Elizabeth P.
“I like them. Being cynical and unpleasant about something that many people enjoy is nasty, the world doesn’t need more nasty.” ~ Celeste K.
“Tacky and wasteful.” ~ Diane K.
“I’d rather see cornstalks and pumpkins.” ~ Grace F.
Eco Friendly Decorating Options
So we’ve mostly established the inflatables are out if you’re trying to green your Halloween. I remind our son that he has a real black cat, and she’s the most authentic decoration of all.
What options do we have for keeping things green and still having a festive front walk on the big night? We look for ways to use things we already have for decorating — like our oldest son’s idea of dressing up our scarecrows (from years past), one as a dementor and the other in last year’s Harry Potter costume with “wand at the ready” for Expecto Partronum.
- Pumpkins (carved or not), gourds, straw, corn stalks
- Solar powered or LED lights
- Reusable decorations like the Halloween garland below or a “Boo” banner from Green Planet Parties
- Don’t buy new – head out to the thrift store to see what you can find for setting the mood at home. Things like candles, ghost or scarecrow parts, and gourds can often be found in these secondhand stores.
- Rather than buying once-a-year decorations that require storage, choose things that can be repurposed for something else after the event is over.
- Forgo one-use dishes and cups for treats and drinks and go for reusable, washable items instead to cut down on party waste.
If you are buying new items, look for eco-friendly characteristics like soy candles, recycled content streamers, and items that will be either compostable or recyclable when the party’s done.
Got more ideas to green your Halloween decorations? We’ll be sure to list them here! Let us know in the comments, or come tell us on Facebook.
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