There are so many different things going on in 2020 that it is hard to know what the ‘right’ thing is – but our health and safety is the most important. Plus, there just might some tips in here to help with the health and safety of our Earth. It’s about little steps and every little one helps!

With Halloween around the corner it may be a good time to introduce new traditions to make Halloween less wasteful and more mindful! Did you know that Halloween is one of the most wasteful holidays of the year, and that the #1 item littered on beaches are food wrappers? It’s no longer cigarette butts! During an international coastal clean-up, they picked up 4.7 million pieces of plastic food packaging.

1. Buy in bulk

This year, create little mason jar candy bundles. I bought candy in bulk, so no extra packaging! You can take your kids and share these goodie bags with friends and family that are part of your social bubble.

2. Go organic 

Look for candy that is organic or vegan, so there aren’t any harsh chemicals. I got these cute little Yum Earth Gummy’s at well.ca which are in safe individual packages, but the packaging is made in a plant that runs 100% on wind generated energy! There are ways that you can still make a difference, and stay safe!

3. Starting a new tradition

I’m sure you remember trick or treating with your little UNICEF donation box. But it was a reminder that you could be doing something for someone else, while you were out there getting stuff for yourself!

‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ is a game that has kids around the world, including my own, obsessed! It’s an online adventure, where everyone earns turnips and has to sell them before they spoil. When the rot, they become waste. But this Halloween, there is a great initiative to help educate kids about food waste and give back at the same time. You can take your rotten turnips to Hellman’s Island, and they will donate a meal to Second Harvest. The island is only open the week of Halloween, and you can get spooky food waste costumes for your little avatar to wear. This is a great way to celebrate at home.

4. Reduce pumpkin food waste

Let’s get crafty when it comes to pumpkins and reducing food waste by turning it into pumpkin cocktails, pumpkin facials, and pumpkin seeds to snack on during your facial! In Canada alone, Canadians buy over 10 million pumpkins; most of which go into the compost. I’ve got some killer ideas for your pumpkins! Let’s tackle reducing our pumpkin food waste!

• Pumpkin puree
  This can be used for all of the below recipes. Take your pumpkin, cut it into chunks, peel, and then boil. Once it’s cooled, blend it all together and you’ve got your puree! If you don’t want to do anything right away, pop the puree into the freezer.
• Pumpkin body scrub
  Something I do every year, is make a pumpkin body scrub. You’ll need 1/2 cup brown sugar, ½ cup pumpkin puree, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. It smells great and your skin will love it, just don’t eat it!
• Pumpkin pie martini
  Continue your self care with a little pumpkin pie martini. You’ll need a little vodka, Baileys and pumpkin pie puree. It’s spookily good!

5. Trick-or-treating tips during COVID-19

Here are a couple Halloween safety tips, should trick-or-treating be given the green light in your area:

• Wear masks and carry sanitizer. Keep your distance!
• If you are setting up to hand out candy, go outside on your porch, so kids know that you are taking part in Halloween. For distancing, how about using a hockey stick? Nothing says 2 meters apart in Canada quite like one. BBQ tongs are another way to go!

Whether you decide to stay in or go out, you can still have a lot of fun this Halloween! Crank up the tunes, do a little monster mash, EAT your pumpkins, and have fun! It will be a Halloween to remember.