Green Halloween

Here are 25 great tips from a non-profit organization called Green Halloween. Their goal is to show people that having a healthy, green-friendly Halloween can be easy and affordable, and of course, FUN! Even these small steps can have big impacts for the short and long term.

25 Tips for a Green Halloween

1. Consider your costumes. The truth is, many store-bought costumes and accessories contain toxic chemicals that not only are a potential hazard to your child, but also to the environment and the people who helped to make them. Choose fabrics such as cotton, wool and silk or make costumes yourself from materials you know to be safe.

2. Go au natural. When decorating your home for Halloween, skip the plastic black cats and paper skeleton streamers made in China. Instead, use décor inspired by Mother Earth by choosing fallen leaves, gourds or pumpkins, and 100% beeswax candles.

3. Trim your trick-or-treats. Hand out less ________ (fill in the blank). Preferably your goodies of choice are healthy and/or Earth-friendly, but even if they‟re not, handing out just one (rather than the conventional handful) of something is better for kids, better for the planet and better for your bank account.

4. Apply the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to all of your holiday choices: costumes, décor, goodies, etc. Of the 3 R’s, reducing is the best for the Earth, our wallets and, in regard to food, our waistlines. Rent, borrow, make or acquire used, when possible, to avoid buying new, especially disposables.

5. Choose eek-o-décor. Say “no” to disposables and instead, re-use or re-purpose items you already own. Look also for items from nature and don‟t forget to decorate with food (consumable décor). If you must use disposables, look for products that are compostable and then be sure to compost them.

6. Go kid powered. Give your child a shakable or hand crank flashlight to light his way.

7. Love LEDs. Use decorative Halloween LED and/ or solar lights for trees, outside of your home, and for lighting the path for trick-or-treaters. They come in every shape, theme and color imaginable!

8. Bag it, green style. Instead of buying, make your child’s goodie bag from a pillow case or anything else you already own that goes with the theme of the costume. Or, purchase a keepsake, reusable Green Halloween® trick-or-treat ChicoBag™.

9. Get creative. Turn costume making into a creative and fun experience for your child. Hunt through the house, at neighborhood garage sales, or a thrift store for costume-worthy items. Enjoy the process and the product! Another idea: host a costume exchange as part of National Costume Swap Day (second Saturday in October).

10. Switcheroo. Instead of allowing your child to eat all the candy he collects, ask him to select a limited, pre-agreed upon amount and then leave the rest out for the Halloween Fairy/ Witch/ Great Pumpkin, who will, while your child is sleeping that night, swap the candy for goodies such as books, games or “pumpkin points” redeemable for outings.

11. Green the YUM. Make the party meal using foods that are mostly orange, black and green. Create spooky names for the food, if you can. Shop locally (support local farmers) and choose organic, whenever possible.

12. Recycle the unexpected. Compost all leftovers, jack-o-lanterns, natural décor and unconsumed candy – remove wrappers unless they‟re compostable. In some places of the country, you can add compostables to your yard waste bin.

13. Celebrate others. Host your Halloween party at a retirement home, children’s hospital, organic farm or similar.

14. Say “no” to toxic chemicals. Make your own face paints. Here’s the recipe.

15. Choose eco sweets. If buying candy, choose organic – you’ll be surprised at how affordable some brands are! If buying chocolate, look for triple certified: organic, shade grown, Fair Trade.

16. Think outside the conventional candy box. Instead of giving out conventional candy: give away healthy and/or Earth friendly treats and treasures.

17. Make décor to DIY for. Make your own Halloween décor by visiting craft sites and swapping conventional materials for eco-supplies. For example, if you are going to make some paper ghosts for your window, be sure the paper is reused, recycled or tree-free.

18. Invite sustainably. Use e-invitations or make your own from reused, recycled or tree-free sources. Kids will love Mr. Ellie Pooh’s Elephant dung paper! It comes in gorgeous fall colors (all scent-free!). The orange cardstock is perfect for Halloween invites, place cards and more. Supporting Mr. Ellie Pooh means supporting the Elephants in Sri Lanka, who are losing their lives because without profit associated with them, they are seen as liabilities to local farmers.

19. Reclaim wrappers. Collect candy and bar wrappers and turn them into picture framed, purses, jewelry and more. Tweens and teens especially love this activity. Contact Terracycle.net for a collection box.

20. Trick-or-treat for good. When tweens and teens are too old to trick or treat, but still enjoy the traditions, encourage them to take a look at how they can turn trick or treating into an activity that benefits others such as: Reverse Trick-or-Treating, trick-or-treating for cell phones, or of course, UNICEF’s program.

21. Start small and build your confidence. Start simply by having (and using) a recycle bin at your party or by going bottled water-free. You can green up each of your next celebrations a little bit at a time until celebrating green-style becomes old hat.

22. Plan ahead to avoid costly impulse buying. You’re less likely to invade the local super party store at the eleventh-hour when you make food, gift, décor and activity decisions in advance.

23. Get the family involved. Ask your kids to come up with three ways to give Halloween a green makeover. Write all of the viable ideas down on paper, toss them in a bowl and select three to try this year.

24. Don‟t drive to trick or treat. Encourage your neighbours to go green and then go door-to-door near you. It’s good for you and the planet and builds community.

25. Learn more. For more great tips and tricks sign up for the e-newsletters from www.GreenHalloween.org and www.celebrategreen.net. And don‟t forget to buy a copy of Celebrate Green!. It features ideas, recipes, crafts, gift suggestions and more.

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October 2010

October 8:

October 17:

October 21:

October 22:

October 23:

October 24:

October 25:

  • Municipal Election Day

October 27:

October 28:

October 30:

October 31:

  • Happy Halloween!

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Municipal Election 2010

LAST UPDATED – Oct 26 2010 at 8:45am
Unofficial results of the Municipal Election are in for the Severn Sound municipalities:

City of Orillia

Mayor: Angelo Orsi
Councillors (Ward 1): Patrick Kehoe, Donald Jenkins
Councillors (Ward 2): Linda Murray, Pete Bowen
Councillors (Ward 3): Michael Fogarty, Paul Spears
Councillors (Ward 4): Tony Madden, Andrew Hill

Town of Midland

Mayor: Gord McKay
Deputy Mayor: Stephan Kramp
Councillors (Ward 1): Zena Pendlebury, Patricia File, Jim Attwood
Councillors (Ward 2): Mike Ross, Bob Jeffery, Jack Charlebois
Councillor (Ward 3): Glen Canning

Town of Penetanguishene

Mayor: Gerry Marshall
Deputy Mayor: Pat Marion
Councillors (Ward 1): Debbie Levy, Helen Luzius, Erin Chappelle
Councillors (Ward 2): Jamie Robitaille, Brad Saunders, Daryl O’Shea, Michel Mayotte

Township of Georgian Bay

Mayor: Larry Braid
Councillor (Ward 1): Louise Rivett (acclaimed)
Councillor (Ward 2): Pat Edwards (acclaimed)
Councillor (Ward 3): Bruce Hanson
District and Area Councillor (Wards 1 & 2): Paul Wiancko
District and Area Councillor (Ward 3): Mike Kennedy

Township of Oro-Medonte

Mayor: Harry Hughes (acclaimed)
Deputy Mayor: Ralph Hough
Councillor (Ward 1): Mel Coutanche (acclaimed)
Councillor (Ward 2): Kelly Meyer
Councillor (Ward 3): Marty Lancaster
Councillor (Ward 4): John Crawford
Councillor (Ward 5): Dwight Evans

Township of Severn

Mayor: Mike Burkett
Deputy Mayor: Judith Cox
Councillor (Ward 1): Mark Taylor (acclaimed)
Councillor (Ward 2): Jane Dunlop (acclaimed)
Councillor (Ward 3): Ian Crichton
Councillor (Ward 4): Ron Stevens
Councillor (Ward 5): Rob Ferguson

Township of Springwater

Mayor: Linda Collins
Deputy Mayor: Dan McLean
Councillor (Ward 1): Dan Clement
Councillor (Ward 2): Perry Ritchie
Councillor (Ward 3): Rick Webster
Councillor (Ward 4): Sandy McConkey
Councillor (Ward 5): Jack Hanna

Township of Tay

Mayor: Scott Warnock (acclaimed)
Deputy Mayor: Bill Rawson
Councillor (Ward 1): Nelson Baumgardner, Rick Black
Councillor (Ward 2): James Pearsall, David Ritchie
Councillor (Ward 3): Heinrich Naumann

Township of Tiny

Mayor: Ray Millar
Deputy Mayor: George Lawrence
Councillors: André Claire, Nigel Warren, Gibb Wishart

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Green Thanksgiving

The fall colours are in full swing and Thanksgiving is coming up this weekend! We hope that you take time to enjoy family and friends and give thanks for this beautiful Severn Sound area.

Here are some suggestions to help you have a green Thanksgiving:

  • Clean your home
    • If you’re sprucing up the house, consider using cleaning products that are safer for the environment and less harmful to your health. By making your own cleaners from common household products, not only will you breathe easier but you’ll save money too.
  • Reduce Waste
    • Rather than using disposable plates, utensils and napkins to serve dinner, use the real dishes and cutlery. If cleaning up is a hassle, have some nice dogs help out with the pre-wash cycle or look into biodegradable disposable options.
    • Save all of those leftovers for delicious sandwiches or use scraps to throw together a delicious soup for a cold fall day.
    • Remember to save all of those scraps rather than tossing them into the garbage. Put them in the composter and they will turn into rich soil.
  • Sustainable Dinner
    • Consider purchasing an organic free-range turkey, which are fed grains that are pesticide and chemical-free.
    • Shop local and support your farmers! You’ll find the freshest and tastiest food from the farm or head to your closest Farmer’s market before preparing the big dinner.
    • If you’re serving wine, look for organic wines or ones that are made closer to home. For example, wines from the Niagara region don’t have to travel as far as wines from other parts of the globe, which saves on greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
  • Get Outside
    • Did you know that the average person consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day? That’s about 2-3 days worth of calories needed! Why not get the family out for a post-meal walk to enjoy some fresh air and fitness.
    • If you’re feeling extra ambitious, take time to plant a tree and make the world a little greener.

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