Photo courtesy of Pxhere.com
DAVAO DEL NORTE, Philippines— Zero waste advocacy group EcoWaste Coalition called on Halloween trick or treat organizers to minimize the production of waste for an eco-friendly events this coming Halloween.
“Even if Halloween trick-or-treating is not typically a Filipino culture, we seem to have adapted it with toy stores, shopping malls and hotels cashing in on this popular US feast,” Daniel Alejandre, Zero Waste campaigner of EcoWaste Coalition said in a statement.
He particularly called out the attention of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) “to go for a zero waste celebration to cut down on trash as well as spending.”
“With the barangay and SK elections scheduled in May 2018, it will not be surprising to see more fun activities such as Halloween parades and parties as those seeking elective posts try to make their names and faces known to their constituents,” he said.
Alejandre noted that Halloween celebrations could be “wasteful in terms of money spent, materials used, and garbage produced.”
EcoWaste Coalition released some tips below on how to prevent and reduce “Hallowaste”:
1. Create costumes from repurposed items to avoid buying expensive ready-made Halloween attires and accessories. With an ounce of creativity, parents and kids can turn old clothes and fabrics into something fun or spooky. Another option is to borrow or swap costumes with a friend or relative, or to buy from a hand-me-down thrift store.
2. Try natural substitutes to face paint, which may contain lead and other harmful substances. These alternatives are commonly found in the kitchen such as food-grade coloring, achiote seeds, turmeric, cocoa powder, cornstarch, etc.
3. Use reusable cloth bags or old socks for Halloween goodies in lieu of plastic pumpkin, skull or character buckets.
4. Consider healthier alternatives to candies with little nutritional value and often wrapped in plastic that is hardly recycled. Treat kids with wholesome food such home-made cookies or sandwiches in paper napkins or small paper bags. Give them bananas and other fruits in season like lanzones and rambutan.
5. Use the occasion to sensitize kids on caring for the environment such as by not throwing candy, cookie or sandwich wrappers and fruit peelings on the ground. Start ‘em young on ecological waste management.
The group also advised the public to refrain from buying costumes, accessories and decorations that are coated with paint unless certified as lead-safe. (davaotoday.com)
