EcOctober

October has arrived, smelling of Vanilla Pumpkin, looking like an Autumn dream …………………and with many other slightly confusing regulations and changes.

To bring the focus back to the changes we can make as an individual, here are some ideas to helping you put the eco in October…

• Get the most out of your Halloween pumpkin – pumpkins are beautiful autumn decorations and can look great in your house this season, but they don’t have to be thrown away once you’ve finished with them in your display. Pumpkins can be used in many recipes, such as a warming pumpkin soup or even in cakes. This Halloween, try to think about the uses of your decorations and how else they could be used/recycled instead of jumping to consume and then throw them away.
• We’ve got to the stage where the air is getting a little bit chilly but not quite where the boiler has given up, so this is the perfect time to hunt out your winter jumpers, socks and blankets and try cuddling down instead of putting the heating on. Getting all fluffy feels great and creates a really cosy home – maybe light a candle, watch a film and enjoy making yourself warm. If you’re feeling ambitious, make a goal to not put the heating on this month, but save it for when it gets really cold (like next month!)
• If are do celebrate Halloween, how about making it a more natural affair this year? Many Halloween items in shops are very wasteful, this could be because they produce lots of unnecessary plastic or because they shed a large amount of glitter which adds to microplastic pollution. An alternative is to make your own decorations, or use natural materials. On a more autumnal theme, you could take inspiration from the harvest time of year and create a display of the season with items you’ve collected on walks or over time, such as leaves, nuts, vegetables, fruit…. (being respectful of what you collect in nature and please consider the needs of wildlife and other people). Not only do these look so beautiful when displayed, but it can help you to connect to your local environment and what nature provides for you.

Wishing you a cosy and fun October, hopefully with a greater sense of celebrating nature and all it provides us with at this time of year.