Sustainable Seasonal Celebrations

Diwali is the festival of lights. Celebrated at the start of the Hindu New Year, it symbolises the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance . It’s celebrated by millions of people around the world from several different faiths including Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.

Families celebrate by decorating their home with lights, giving eachother gifts and sweets, offering pujas (prayers), shared meals, and enjoying fireworks. As with many of our seasonal festivities these events can often generate a lot of waste.  Here below are a few tips for making your Diwali celebrations as green and sustainable as possible.

Reduce Food Waste

• Plan out your meals and make sure you store your food correctly to reduce wasting it. If you find yourself with extra, you can always share it with neighbours and friends!

Lights

• A great tip is to invest in rechargeable batteries to reduce your waste, but if you can’t, make sure you recycle them properly using the Council's free battery recycling service.

Clothing

• New clothes have a high impact on the environment. You can make your clothing choices more environmentally friendly by mixing up a new style from existing clothes, and keeping your clothes in good shape so they don’t get worn out and can be used year after year.

For more tips, see below

• https://www.lesswaste.org.uk/2024/10/21/celebrate-diwali-sustainably/
• https://thebetterindia.com/sustainability/sustainable-eco-friendly-green-diwali-gift-options-festival-celebration-10547909
• https://www.secret-retreats.com/blog/events/the-festival-of-lights-sustainable-diwali-experiences-in-indias-iconic-retreats.html
• https://fillmefeed.com/eco-friendly-diwali-sustainable-ways-to-celebrate-without-missing-the-fun/
• https://gosharpener.com/blogs/608059/Lighting-Up-Diwali-Responsibly-7-Sustainable-Ways-to-Celebrate-the

Annually celebrated on 31 October, Halloween in England is nowadays enjoyed by families and usually involves dressing up in scary costumes, giving out sweets (Trick or Treating), decorating carved pumpkins, parties or watching scary films! Much of this can be brought in the shops but there are many ways to be more creative, and sustainable, with your celebrations:

Costumes and decorations

Why not get creative, involve the kids, and make your costumes at home, re-purposing items like sheets,  cardboard and other spare items around the house instead of buying expensive use-once costumes. You can also re-use decorations year after year instead of buying new ones every year and throwing the old ones away.

Sweets and treats

Buy treats for yourself or others from local retailers – we have vibrant markets and local traders throughout the District. Or have fun making your own!

Pumpkins

• Buy from a local farm. A Halloween staple, you can make your Halloween more sustainable by buying a pumpkin from a local farm to support local business and reduce your food miles. Try this website to find your local pick-your-own pumpkin farm. (https://sussexexclusive.com/pyo-pumpkins-in-sussex/
• Decorate your pumpkin:  Decorating your pumpkin instead of carving it means the whole thing stays fresh until you’re ready to eat. There’s still loads of room for creativity, spookiness, and something to show off on your windowsill or doorstep. Need some inspiration? Here are 10 favourite ways to decorate yours.

Pumpkin recipe ideas

• Make delicious pumpkin recipes: Don't throw away the delicious pumpkin after carving but make the most of it by checking out these delicious recipes. And don't forget that Halloween pumpkins are grown for size, not taste. Forget the myth that bigger is better and pick a smaller pumpkin this year, it'll be tastier to eat.
  • Love Food Hate Waste - https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/good-food-habits/halloween-make-most-your-pumpkin
  • BBC Good Food https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/pumpkin-recipes

• Eat your pumpkin campaign, from Hubbub.org.uk - https://hubbub.org.uk/eat-your-pumpkin

For more tips, check out these weblinks below

• https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/10-green-halloween-tips
• https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/how-to-have-a-sustainableish-halloween/
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/63075645
• https://greenecofriend.co.uk/eco-friendly-halloween/
• https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/oct/30/sustainable-halloween-conservation-tips

Bonfire Night can be great fun but it can also generate a significant amount of waste and environmental pollution. There are plenty of ways to enjoy Bonfire Night whilst also keeping your activities sustainable and reducing its environmental impact. Here are some of our top tips:

Go to a public display of fireworks

• Why not save yourself money and enjoy some spectacular fireworks by going to a public display instead of a private one. Not only are organised displays cleaned up properly, you will also have the joy of celebrating as a community and spending time with old friends and new!

Alternative fireworks

• Some types of fireworks are more sustainable than others. For example white burning ones and ground-level fireworks are easier to clean up and have less chemicals. And don’t forget to dispose of them safely! You might even be able to find a drone or light display instead.

Safe bonfires

• If you do want your own bonfire, don’t forget to only burn untreated wood so that you don’t release harmful chemicals. And don't forget to check for animals such as hedgehogs which love to hide under wood piles, before you light up!

Sky lanterns

• These lanterns, whilst pretty, are hazardous to both wildlife and the environment. Once they have fallen the lanterns become litter, and their metal frames can harm animals or start fires. Opt for safer, more eco-friendly alternatives, or better yet, skip them altogether.

For more tips, see below:

• Recycle Now - Eco friendly Bonfire night
• Burn Bright waste Light/
• how-to-prepare-for-bonfire-night/
• goodenergy.co.uk/blog/eco-friendly-bonfire-night/
• wildmag.co.uk/post/bonfire-night-done-right-wild-s-tips-to-enjoy-a-safe-sustainable-guy-fawkes-night-this-year
• lovefoodhatewaste.com/blog/7-bonfire-night-feast-ideas