Whoa, has it really been three weeks since my last post? ! Did I really not post about Halloween, my favorite of all dress up events?!
Humour me while a backtrack a few weeks for an eco-oriented review of our haunting activities.
Rhyannon wore an old costume of Grant’s and went as a Micheal Jackson Cassette Tape, scoring top points for reusing and non-consumerism. I don’t have a photo, but trust me, it’s awesome.
I dressed as the Sunmaid Raisin Girl (idea, shirt, and bonnet stolen from my sister from last year) with a skirt made of scrap fabric, a sun made from virgin paper board from the dollar store, and a wack of grapes and raisins that came in plastic bags. I give myself a 5 out of 10 for sustainability, and 10 out of 10 for offering healthy snack options.
Grant went as a keytar (yes, a guitar keyboard, as in. . . super 80’s). It had functioning sound, but unfortunately relied heavily on duct tape and little foam buttons. I give him top marks for originality and 2 out of 10 for sustainability (the base was reused cardboard, otherwise it would’ve been worse).
For candy, we gave out some fair trade, organic, paper wrapped chocolate as well as some sugary plastic wrapped standards. We said no to plastic cups at the party we went to, but ended up with a wack of plastic candy wrappers in my basket (sometimes it’s hard to say no to free chocolate).
All and all, I think we could’ve performed a little better from a zero waste perspective, but for an event dominated by plastic decorations, plastic wrapped treats, and synthetic costumes made overseas, I think we did ok.
We have been gearing up for some speaking engagements though. A couple weeks ago we were at the YWCA, working with their dynamic (and voluntary) environment committee, and encouraging the staff to take personal steps to reduce office waste. They have a veggie garden on their roof that is pretty inspiring, and they treated us to lunch on real plates with real cups.
