Free Shipping all US orders over $35

The Shore Buddies Show - Plastic Free Halloween

Episode 34 - Plastic Free Halloween

Even though many people enjoy celebrating Halloween, costumes alone create 25,000 pounds of plastic waste from Halloween every single year. Also, millions of plastic bottles, and food wrappers top the list of plastic waste in the ocean, with candy wrappers accounting for 13 percent of all wrappers.  Here are some ideas so that you can enjoy Halloween while keeping the ocean clean and safe for the Shore Buddies.

Malte is carving a tropical pineapple for this year’s Halloween as a beachy jack lantern alternative. He is joined on the show by Shore Buddies Ocean Ambassadors Sammie and Sarah. They also have tips on how you can celebrate Halloween plastic free. 

 

Crayola craft DIY homemade upcycled Halloween decorations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a05PFN-q3uw

 

Sammie’s Buddy Bench Project:

https://sammiesbuddybenchproject.com/

 

Rubicon - Trick or Trash - in collaboration with the National Wildlife Federation

https://www.rubicon.com/trick-or-trash/

 

More Ways to celebrate plastic free this Halloween

Treats:

*Wax paper wrapped taffy, Tootsie Rolls, cardboard boxes of Milk Duds, raisins, Junior Mints, Dots, or Nerds, foil-wrapped candies like Hershey’s Kisses, Mini Reese’s, Rolos, and chocolate coins all reduce plastic waste.  

*Looking for non-candy treats?  Wooden pencils, crayons, erasers, small books, and Straw Buddy Reusable Straws are all great alternatives!  Have creative kids in your neighborhood?  You could even wrap embroidery floss around paper and include instructions for making friendship bracelets.

*To gather treats, use a basket or reusable cloth bag.  If you plan on doing lots of gathering, an old pillowcase is perfect!  You can even decorate your basket, bag, or pillowcase to match your costume, and have a one-of-a-kind accessory that stands out from the others!  

*If you want a snack while you’re trick-or-treating, bring an extra bag so you don’t litter.

 

Decorating:

*Skip the plastic or Styrofoam pumpkin, and carve a real one.  Use gourds and decorative corn.  If possible, compost your natural decorations when you are finished with them.  

*Build a haunted house out of a big recycled box.  

*Make ghosts out of an old sheet or T-shirt.  

*Use recycled paper to make paper bats and spiders that can be attached to a web made of yarn or twine.  You do not need plastic spiders!  

*Keep old food cans and write labels on them like “Eye of Newt” or “Rat Tails”.  You have ingredients for Witch’s Brew!  

*Make a creepy twig wreath with dead branches that you can find on the ground. *Make a scarecrow with old clothing and a jack-o-lantern head.  

*Make a sign by painting your own “scary” message on a board. Use your imagination to create some truly one-of-a-kind decorations!

 

Costumes:

Check your closet (or better yet, the closet of an older adult) for costume ideas.  *That bridesmaid dress in the back of the closet?  Perfect for a princess!  

*Sports shirts, and you can be your favorite athlete!  

*Paint white bones on a black sweatsuit, and you can be a skeleton!  

*Graduation robes can easily become a wizard’s robes!  

*Older children may think it’s funny to wear pajamas and dress as a baby!  

*If you have a flannel shirt, jeans, and an old hat, you have a scarecrow costume…you can even add leaves to the hat for a truly natural touch! By reusing clothes you already have, you are also eliminating plastic packaging on costumes.

 

Party Foods:

*Mini hot dogs don’t require plates, and they can be made to look like mummies!  *Grapes don’t come in plastic packages, and they make perfect monster eyeballs!  *Caramel apples with reusable skewers are always a Halloween favorite!

*Avoid juice pouches and make a Monster Punch by mixing:

2 liters of ginger ale

4 cups of pineapple juice

1/3 cup of lemon juice

1 gallon of lime sherbert

Mix together in a punch bowl and serve in reusable cups.

*Set out a bowl of “Poison Apples”.

*Feeling creative?  Make “Orange Witches” by gluing a black paper hat onto an orange and making a face out of cloves or chocolate chips.

*Chips and taco dip with a sour cream spider web don’t require plastic utensils and add a fun Halloween touch!

 

Enjoy celebrating Halloween while keeping plastics out of the ocean to save marine life!