Eco-Friendly Halloween and a Giveaway

With Halloween just a few days away and fall festivities in full swing, I thought it would be worthwhile to talk about how to throw an eco-friendly Halloween party and offer a free giveaway to boot!  Sometime over the next ten days, leave a comment on this post with a tip for  how to go green and celebrate at the same time, as well as why you would like to win 2 free bottles of Santa Cruz Organic Teas.  Perhaps you are hosting a kids’ Halloween bash or are inviting friends over for an afternoon tea–whatever your reason for being the host(ess) with the most(ess), leave a comment and enter for a chance to win these tasty organic beverages.

To get started, here are a few simple ways to green your Halloween:

• Get Technical.  Forget about traditional paper invitations and instead opt for the more glamorous and yes, technical, evites that are widely available on the Internet.  Evites travel faster than snail mail and allow your guests to instantly R.S.V.P.

• Buy Local and go Organic. Many parents will thank you when you choose to serve delicious fruit and veggie dishes to their favorite little people (yes, I mean their children =)).  To make sure that you are serving healthy snacks that are good for the planet too, check with your local farmer or note the sticker number on your produce.   A sticker beginning with the #9 is organic whereas a 4 digit number is conventional.  5 digit stickers beginning with the #8 means that your produce is GM, or genetically modified.

• Create. While manufactured decorations may look nice inside of stores, remember that many  are not built to last, which means that a lot of cute chach-kis wind up in our landfills.  To reduce waste, as well as the energy consumed for transporting commercially made decorations, host an afternoon of fun homemade decorating with other crafters or with your kiddos.  For a few ideas, go here and here.

• Be green and be merry. Whether your guests are sipping wine or organic apple cider, serve up your beverages and treats on washable plateware, or if you must, select biodegradable disposables.  Not only will your guests thank you for hosting an awesome party but they’ll feel good about participating in an environmentally mindful party too.