Boo to plastic: Clean Cornwall’s Halloween plea to households

The fancy dress rails are full, the cobwebs are up and the sweet aisles are heaving. And one Cornwall litter group would quite like you to think twice before reaching for the plastic.

With Halloween arriving this Saturday (31 October), Clean Cornwall has shared a simple message: boo to plastic.

The group says it loves a good scare as much as anyone, but would rather not see so much plastic available in the shops. In its words, “there really is no need”.

Used once, then thrown away

Costumes, decorations, sweet wrappers and disposable party supplies all add up. According to Clean Cornwall, Halloween can create a huge amount of waste, and most of it is used just once before it ends up in the bin.

So the group has put together a handful of easy swaps for anyone who wants this year’s celebrations to be a little greener.

Five ways to a greener Halloween

Reuse or swap costumes

Dig out last year’s outfit, get creative with what’s already in the wardrobe, or have a look in a charity shop before buying something new.

Decorate sustainably

Make your own decorations, or choose ones that can come out of the loft year after year.

Recycle the wrappers

This one may surprise a few people. Cornwall Council now collects many types of plastic sweet and chocolate wrappers with household recycling, so it’s worth checking what can go in your recycling bags before the wrappers go in the general waste.

Make the most of your pumpkin

The flesh can go into soup or baking. Whatever is left can be composted or put in your food waste collection.

Keep Cornwall litter-free

If you’re heading out trick-or-treating, Clean Cornwall asks that sweet wrappers find their way home rather than onto paths and pavements.

Keeping the fun in Halloween

None of this means skipping the dressing up or the trick-or-treating.

“We’re not suggesting giving up the Halloween fun,” the group said. “Just a few small changes can help reduce waste.”

📷Credit: Clean Cornwall