4 Easy Tips For a Green Halloween

Let's get one thing straight. This is not an article about the world-famous Utica Greens side-dish everyone consumes at restaurants in the Mohawk Valley.

And don't worry. The image above is NOT an accurate representation of Green Halloween. The green Halloween movement IS all about developing healthier kids and a healthier Earth.

The movement to observe HalloGreen or Green Halloween began as an idea in 2006 in the Seattle, Washington area and it has grown since then. The women who started the project pooled the resources of Whole Foods Markets, ParentMap magazine, local hospitals and other organizations.

They also formed an outfit called the EcoMom Alliance, empowering mothers to create a healthy and sustainable world.

Here are some tips on going green this Halloween:

1. Turn cardboard boxes into gravestones for a cool front porch display.

2. Observe National Costume Swap Day on the second Saturday of October (that's October 14, 2017). Get together with a group of friends, swap an old Halloween costume for a different one, and use #NationalCostumeSwapDay to post on social media.

3. Seek unique costume ideas at consignment shops, vintage clothing shops, and thrift stores.

4. Designate your house as a Green Halloween home, with special signs to hang on your front doorknob that kids, moms and dads can easily locate. Then, give out healthier treats, like Surf Sweets, BareSnacks, and Endangered Species Chocolate.

Central New York businesses that would make great partners for Green Halloween include UticaGreens, which supports urban agriculture, and the folks at Rust2Green, which promotes natural solutions for "rust belt" cities in New York state.

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