More My Canada Blogs
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- North West Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Alberta
- Ontario
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- Prince Edward Island
- British Columbia
- Yukon Territories
- ECO: Your Choices Count
- Saskatchewan
October 2007 Blogs
- Real Girl - Kourtney
- My parents divorced...and it gets worse!
- Halloween Eco Tips
- Ask A Guy - talk topics with girls, being sad, fighting in sports, self conscious topics
- Fall Fashion Faux Pas
- FASHIONABLE OR MATERIALISTIC, when is enough, enough?
- Goddess of the Month - Dou-mu
- Career Watch - Life of an Art Director
- Girl Bullying, what's with all the ANGER?
- WATER are you getting enough?
- Costume Ideas You Can Make Yourself
- Competitive Swimming
- Does my head look big in this? by Randa Abdel Fattah
- Belief in a Dream, Dr. Jane Goodall
Halloween Eco Tips
MY CANADA, October 2007 by Deanna Fry
CARING FOR OUR PLANET
“Every day is Earth Day."
“Think globally, act locally.”
Maybe you’ve heard these sayings before, but if we kept them in mind from day to day we would all live more sustainably! Holidays and special celebrations offer us even more opportunities to think creatively and make good choices.
Here are some EcoTips for Halloween.
5 Halloween Eco Tips
1. COSTUMES - Instead of buying ‘pre-made’ costumes from the store, try making your own (see Teen Stuff on page 32 green for ideas). Look around at home or second hand stores like Goodwill, The Salvation Army and Value Village for items to reuse. The merchandise they sell is being reused and kept from landfills. Plus these stores provide training and jobs. Not to mention, shopping second hand will save you money too!
2. PUMPKINS - Compost your Jack-O-Lantern. Many communities across the country are now collecting compostable waste separately since collecting uses fossil fuels, the most environmental thing to do is have a com friend of mine suggested leaving ‘Jack’ out for the raccoons to eat!
3. FLASHLIGHTS - For those of you who still trick-or-treat, carry a flashlight for safety. The kinds you up or shake to produce energy don’t use batteries and are a good environmental choice. Check the bulb too. LED bulbs use far less energy. If you do need batteries, go for the rechargeables. Did you know that used batteries contain toxic substances and should never be thrown out in the regular garbage? They should be treated as household hazardous waste and taken to an appropriate facility for proper handling.
4. PACKAGING - We all love the single serving chocolate bars and mini bags of chips at Halloween. Unfortunately, our society has gotten used to the convenience of single serving packaging every day. It’s much better for the environment (and your wallet) to buy in bulk and take smaller amounts with you in reusable containers. Recycle!
5. GETTING AROUND - Unless you live in a rural community, walking door-to-door on Halloween night is the way to go. Every year, more and more parents seem to be driving their children trick-or-treating. Some even leave their cars idling at the bottom of the driveway while waiting. Leaving the car at home will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If safety is a concern, invite parents to walk with you (or at a respectable distance behind!)
Have fun and remember your environment!
~ Deanna