Zombies, vampires and monsters will soon be roaming across Cornwall as youngsters get into the Halloween spirit.
But after the spooky celebrations are over, another Halloween horror comes to light. In the days after the festivities, households across the county throw away a scary amount of waste - around 125 tonnes of fancy-dress costumes and a staggering 180 tonnes of pumpkin flesh each year.
This Halloween Cornwall Council is urging people to think ahead and reduce, reuse and recycle.
Get creative with your costumes
Help save your pennies and the environment by reusing or adapting old costumes.
See what’s lurking in your cupboards before buying new or look in your local charity shops for inspiration.
And when it comes to accessories, such as such as brooms and wands, try making them from recyclable materials rather than buying plastic ones.
Pumpkins are delicious!
Carving pumpkins is one of our favourite Halloween traditions – but so many people throw away the flesh.
You can find thousands of tasty recipes online to make the most of your pumpkin.
Take charge of your Zombie batteries
Many Halloween costumes and accessories come with batteries, which often end up in the bin after the celebrations are over.
Batteries can cause serious fires if you put them with your rubbish so set aside a box for your ‘Zombie batteries’.
Once it is full, take it to your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) or battery recycling point.
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
Remember, you can recycle your Halloween plastic sweet tubs, and your cardboard and paper decorations using the Council’s fortnightly recycling collection service.
Plastic tubs, metal cans and tins go in the red bag and cardboard goes in the orange bag.
If you’re not sure what goes where, see our handy online A-Z of recycling.
Press release issued on October 28, 2022
