Website of the Day: Green Halloween

Last Halloween, Corey Colwell-Lipson, took her two daughters trick-or-treating and discovered a few homes who placed non-candy treats in her girls’ pumpkins. She made a mental note to remember to trick-or-treat at these homes the following year but, after walking several more streets in the dark, had already forgotten which homes were candy-free. This incident inspired her to found Green Halloween in the summer of 2007, a community movement focused on making Halloween healthier and safer for our children and for the environment. Green Halloween is working in the Seattle area to raise awareness of alternatives to candy. The goal is to take Green Halloween nationwide in the nest two years and to inspire parents to creat green traditions during all holidays from birthdays to Christmas. Halloween is just the beginning.

Green Halloween urges us to think outside the candy-box. Whether buying food, treats, treasures or prizes for your Green Halloween party, thinking green is just as much about what you don’t buy as what you do buy. Reducing the amount of waste we generate by cutting down on excessive shopping is not only better for our planet (and easier on our wallets) but reducing the number of products we buy also teaches our children the art of simplicity as well the value of moderation. 

To put it in perspective, Halloween candy sales average about $2 billion annually in the United States. It is the largest candy-purchasing holiday, surpassing Christmas, Easter and Valentine’s Day. That’s just the candy. Over $1.5 billion is spent on costumes each year and more than $2.5 billion on other Halloween paraphernalia.

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