Go Green For Halloween

The colorful leaves, cool breeze, perfect pumpkins, spooky decorations, sweet treats — it's all part of one of the best times of the year. While a great time of year, it also is a wasteful time of the year. There are some simple things we can all do to get in the spirit this year without negative impact to the planet!

Here are a few tips for a more green Halloween:

Composting

The most simple and easy thing you can do is to make sure you don’t throw items like pumpkins, gourds, mums and corn stalks away and put it on the compost instead. This way you won’t be adding to the tons of green waste that end of in landfill each year and contribute to harmful emissions. Green waste may also be delivered to the Authority’s Utica and Rome EcoDrops for composting.

 

Parties

You’ll need to consider a few key things for your Halloween parties but two of the easiest ways for a more green Halloween are:

  • Decorations
  • Food, Drink, & Serving

Decorations
Ideally, try to use decorations that are compostable — gourds, pumpkins, mums and corn stalks make great decorations. Look for ways to reuse items such as recycled paper for decorations. Just try to make sure materials used are recyclable so you can properly dispose of them at the end of their lifespan.

If you are buying decorations, be mindful to purchase items that can be re-used from year to year, rather than items such as spider webs and window stickers that are hard to re-use. 

Food, Drink, & Serving
One of the most wasteful aspects of most parties are the use of disposable cups, plates and cutlery. Non-disposable silverware, plates, and cups will require some additional cleanup and dish washing, but the planet will thank you!

Reminder: candy wrappers ARE NOT recyclable!

 

Reuse

There are infinite ways to reuse items for a more green Halloween, here are a few:

  • Have your kids try using a backpack, old pillowcases or reusable shopping bags for trick-or-treating.

  • Second hand clothing can be used for costumes or as fabric for creating Halloween costumes.

  • When taking down decorations, use old boxes to gather and store them.

 

 

EcoDrop Utica

824 Sewage Plant Road, Utica, NY

Hours of Operation:

Monday – Friday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Saturday: 7:00 am – 2:00 pm

EcoDrop Rome

575 Perimeter Road, Rome, NY

Hours of Operation:

Monday – Friday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Saturday: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm




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