WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
Keep October HallowGREEN and Our Waterways Clean!🎃🌊
Halloween is one of our most loved holidays, but it’s also one of the least environmentally friendly ones. Candy wrappers, costumes, and decorations can not only end up in our landfills but pollute our waterways too if they’re left on the ground or improperly disposed of. Unlike the sewer system which treats pollutants in water, any pollutants that enter our storm drain system can go untreated into our creeks, rivers, bays, and ocean.
Whether you’re trick or treating, pumpkin-carving, or throwing a party, you can help make Halloween a waterway-safe holiday! By making watershed-wise choices, you can play a key role in preventing pollutants from entering our waterways, reducing waste in landfills, and preventing environmental contaminants from causing harm to our wildlife and human health. Follow these top 5 tips for a greener and cleaner Halloween!
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Make Your Own Costumes and Face Paint – Halloween costumes are largely made up of non-recyclable plastic which, over time, turns into microplastics. Due to their size, microplastics are difficult to recycle and can take up to 20-200 years to decompose. Make your own costumes using recycled materials like cardboard, bed sheets, or old clothes rather than buying new or disposable costumes. You can also look for costumes at thrift stores, borrow them from friends and family, or trade them at costume swaps. Many commercially available Halloween face paints contain toxins including heavy metals and parabens. By making your own face paint, you control all of the ingredients and get to do a creative activity with the kiddos while instilling some environmentally-conscious ideas.Â
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Rethink Treats – Most Halloween waste comes from candy wrappers that contain plastic and aluminum, which are nearly impossible to recycle. Look for treats with minimal packaging or those packaged in cardboard boxes. Better yet, bake and package your own Halloween treats using biodegradable or eco-friendly aluminum foil wrappers. Consider handing out useful compostable items like fruits, seed packets, plantable pencils, or eco-friendly arts and crafts. For collecting treats, use a reusable bag or old pillowcase instead of a plastic bucket. Check out the Port of San Diego’s #thatsmybay Lil’ Wrapper to Littered Wrapper video on how wrappers and other trash travel through our watersheds and into the ocean.
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Get the Most Out of Your Pumpkin – 40% of consumers buy pumpkins to carve for Halloween but 60% of them just throw them away afterwards. This adds up to 1 billion pounds of pumpkins sent to landfills annually. Reduce the number of pumpkins you buy or use the leftovers from the carvings to use in pumpkin recipes. Save the seeds to replant or roast and add to salads or just eat on their own as a nutritious snack. Use carved pumpkins for bird feeders, add them to compost or donate them to local farms or wildlife centers.
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Use Eco-Friendly Decorations – Americans spend around $2.36B on plastic single-use decorations. Halloween decorations tend to contain excessive amounts of single-use plastics which, when thrown away, can be damaging to the environment. Use fewer decorations and include natural elements like carved pumpkins, branches, or stones. Reuse decorations from previous years, or get creative and make your own by repurposing items in and around your house. Be cautious when using light-up decorations like candles and battery-operated decorations. Batteries should be disposed of properly by taking them to your nearest household hazardous waste disposal facility. Candles contain paraffin which release carcinogens and sooty residue into the environment when burned. Instead, use beeswax candles or make your own soy candles.
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Entertain Responsibly – Halloween parties are popular, but they generate a lot of waste. Reduce waste by using reusable dishes or biodegradable tableware. Avoid any kind of plastic plates or cutlery as they can contain microplastics, which are harmful to the environment. Buy only as much tableware as you need and use a marker or apply labels to identify cups so party-goers can keep track of theirs. Be sure to compost any food waste or send leftovers home with your guests using compostable or reusable containers.
Proper Disposal Tips to Keep Our Waterways Clean
In addition to making more green choices this Halloween, it’s important to be mindful of how small actions like properly disposing of Halloween waste can make a big difference in protecting our waterways. Be sure to place trash, recyclables, and pumpkin waste in their appropriate bins and close the lids to make sure items don’t fall out or get blown by the wind. This helps prevent these pollutants making their way into our storm drain system, eventually reaching our inland waterways and ocean. When disposing of unwanted pumpkins, make sure they are clean, unpainted, and free of decorations or lights. Residents with painted pumpkins can dispose of them in their general waste bins.
The County wishes its residents a fun, safe, and pollution-free Halloween. Check out more green Halloween tips here and other ways to prevent stormwater pollution at the County’s Watershed Protection Program webpage.
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