HALLOWGREEN

Happy Halloween! It is spooky season and what is scarier than ghouls

and witches? Perhaps marine plastics or deforestation?

Now, we are not suggesting you wrap yourself in fishing nets or half-chopped down trees,

but here are some eco-ideas to help you have a green Halloween.

1) Charity shops and upcycling

Instead of buying a new costume each year have a search around your

local charity shops. Many charity shops will be selling donated costumes

or decorations. If not try your hand at DIY and see if you can turn any of

the clothes they are selling into some spooky garments. Better than that,

remember that white top with that ketchup stain that just will not

budge? How about adding a few cuts into the fabric grabbing some dye

and you have the start to a spooky outfit! Let’s get this party startled!

2) Tackling food waste with boo-tiful soup!

We all love pumpkin carving! But often a lot of the flesh is discarded

which can create a lot of food waste. Instead, check out this recipe from

‘The Pesky Vegan’ and turn that waste into a warm autumn soup! Bone

appetit!

OR  if you want to use my recipe instead:

Bens Boo-tiful Pumpkin Soup

Here is an easy vegan Halloween soup I made recently: Serves 4 Ingredients: 1. 1 medium-sized pumpkin (deseeded, peeled, and only the flesh) 2. 1 butternut squash (deseeded, peeled and only the flesh) 3. 2 cloves of garlic (keep the vampires away) 4. 2 onions finely chopped 5. 200ml oat cream (other plant-based varieties will also work) 6. 1 teaspoon of cumin 7. ½ a teaspoon of chili powder 8. 1 teaspoon of paprika (smoked or unsmoked – whatever you have) 9. 2 teaspoons of olive oil 10. Salt and pepper to taste Instructions: 1. Carve your pumpkin in any style you wish. Remove the stringy bits and either dispose of the pumpkin seeds or these can be roasted for a snack. Now try and scoop out as much flesh as you can (roughly 700 grams but more is always better).

2. Take your butternut squash and remove and dispose of the seeds. Cut the flesh and put it to one side (roughly 1kg).

3. Grab a baking tray and cover it in tin foil. Lay out your pumpkin and butternut squash on the baking tray and drizzle over one teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

4. Place your baking tray in the oven at 180 o for 20 minutes or until slightly brown.

5. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a saucepan, add your garlic and onion, and fry until the onion is soft. Once soft add in your cumin, paprika, and chilli powder.

6. Take your pumpkin and squash out of the oven and add to the saucepan with the garlic and onion.

7. Now use a hand blender to make this all into a consistency of your choice, smooth or chunky it’s your choice.

8. Add salt and pepper to season and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

3) Decgorerations!

Most of us love arts and crafts and what better way to re-live the Art

Attack days than to make some decorations out of materials we have at

home? An old cereal box can soon be turned into a bat. If you have any

ripped bin bags these can soon be turned into spiders’ webs.

Perhaps you have spare cardboard lying about, if so you could use it to make

gravestones and have your own cardboard graveyard.

Or even Bats from any leftover cereal boxes of packages:

4) Pumpkin picking

Help support local businesses this Halloween! If you are lucky enough to

be surrounded by countryside and farms or if you fancy a day out. Go

and visit local farm shops and pay to pick your own pumpkins.

Crockford Bridge Farm - Time Out

5) Trick or treat!

If trick or treating is for you, how about instead of the classic jack-o-

lantern bucket you use a sustainable alternative. Perhaps a pillowcase

could do the job? This will likely hold more treats than your old-fashioned

bucket anyway! Most trick-or-treat containers are made of plastic and

over 690 marine vertebrates have ingested plastic. So, by making this

switch everyone wins – you and the environment!

Some people have even made them out of old pillows: Click here for the guide

This Hallowgreen, let's show that Halloween can be not only fun but also kind to our planet. By making these eco-conscious choices, we can enjoy the spooky season guilt-free, knowing that we're doing our part to protect the environment. Happy Hallowgreen, and may your Halloween be as "green" as it is ghostly!