5 Ways To Have A More Eco-Friendly October

It’s that time of year again! As we enter the long-anticipated spooky season, we remember all the unique traditions only celebrated one month out of the year. From pumpkin patches to scary movies, it’s easy to get lost in the October excitement. As we map out our plans for the spookiest month of the year, it’s important that we do our best to consider the well-being of the planet that we call home. Lucky for us, there are so many ways to celebrate these iconic traditions without being wasteful. So, keep these five simple tips in mind to make this October sustainably spooky.

1. DIY your decor
We all love to find cool ways to get into the fall spirit. A fun way to really feel the October magic is by decorating the house with cool knick-knacks, autumn leaves, pumpkin-scented candles—the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, a lot of store-bought decorations are made with non-recyclable resources. On top of that, the gas used on the drive to the store is harmful to the environment, and it’s important to be proactive about minimizing our carbon footprint. Give your creative side some love this October and get crafty with your home decor. Not only will this really get you into the Halloween spirit, you’ll preserve resources and the energy used to make these resources. So, this year let’s try to be better about washing and reusing the things we already have. A used Converpro container can become your new painter’s pallet. A used PET cup is the perfect vase for a candy bouquet. Be sure to keep those Bioform containers—it could end up being the spookiest little tomb of the Halloween season.

2. Borrow or rent your costume
You’re never too old to play dress-up, and this is especially true on Halloween. A lot of us spend weeks or even months planning that perfect costume. After all, Halloween is the one day of the year that you can step out in public as a whole new person. That in itself is worth celebrating. So, if you look forward to dressing up in costume for Halloween, you should absolutely stick to that tradition. Just make sure you’re not being wasteful in the process. Buying a new costume each year is an unnecessary waste of money and resources. Instead, hit up your friends and search their closets. You’ll find so many hidden gems that you won’t find at the store. Plus, it’ll come at a discount. If you don’t have much luck looking through your friends’ stuff, it won’t hurt to get in touch with your creative side. Pull out the old jewelry and all the old clothes that went out of style years ago—you’ll come to find that a mix-and-match costume is far more unique than anything you can find at a store.

3. Use reusable treat containers
Trick-or-treating is a classic Halloween tradition held dear to many hearts. But if going all-out in costume is important to you, you’ll need your treat container to match your look. However, you don’t need to buy a new one every year. You can make your own treat container in record time by planning ahead! Get into the habit of exploring ways to transform your ‘trash’ into new treasures. Before you toss your used Bioform containers or PET cups, ask yourself if they could serve as a special and sustainable addition to your next Halloween look.

4. Choose candy with less plastic packaging
Hold the tricks, bring the treats. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’re sure to appreciate all the Halloween candy and the unbeatable Halloween prices. However, this chocolatey tradition brings a surplus of wasted plastic that essentially could be avoided. If you shop for Halloween candy at your local grocery store, you’ll come home to find a bunch of small candy packages within one big candy package. Skip a step in the opening process and buy smaller packages. Not only will this waste less plastic, it offers more room for variety. Next time you’re searching the store for cheap treats, try to be a smart shopper and avoid the cheap tricks.

5. Thrift for cold-weather closet items
Say goodbye to the summer heat and hello to the crisp fall breeze! For most of us, the start of October calls for a wardrobe change, and nothing feels better than showing off a fresh new ‘fit. Whether you’re shopping online or browsing through the mall, it’s easy to forget about wasteful habits that stem from over-production and over-consumption. Fast fashion isn’t made to last, and it’s detrimental to the environment. Treat yourself to a day of thrifting, and you’ll find that secondhand clothing not only provides a quality fit for a better price, it allows you to show off an original sense of style that won’t be found elsewhere. Wearing thrifted items is a stylish way of limiting the landfill, and the quality will keep you warm as the cold winter months creep in. So when you start tweaking your wardrobe to match the fall trends, do your best to shop secondhand and make this spooky season stylish and sustainable!

At Carvajal, we believe that small eco-friendly lifestyle changes yield big results. If we work together to become more eco-conscious throughout the day, we can find solutions that will provide a better future for not just the planet, but for our children, their children, and generations to come. When it comes to reusable products, the possibilities are endless. We make our products durable and cost-effective so that our consumers save money and adopt new eco-friendly habits. Keep up with Carvajal for more creative ways to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle.