Don’t Be A Trash Monster!

Halloween will be here before you can say, “Boo!” So, as you prepare for that spooky, kooky holiday coming up at the end of this month, take a few minutes to incorporate these simple stormwater-friendly tricks and tips into your autumn activities. 

Batman – Ban that Bag!

When your little super heroes and princesses go trick-or-treating, be sure they use a reusable bag to collect their treats. Canvas bags and pillowcases are great alternatives to plastic or even paper bags, and they are much sturdier. Every year, Californians use 12 billion single-use plastic bags, and remnants of plastic bags make up a significant portion of the litter found in Los Angeles’ rivers, creeks, lakes and bays.

Don’t Be A Trash Monster!

Remind your little trick-or-treating monsters that candy wrappers need to be kept in their reusable bags until they get home and then thrown in the trash. Never throw candy wrappers on the street or in the gutter as they’ll flow into our creeks, rivers, lakes and bays once the next rain event happens. And, why not take along a reusable bag yourself and pick up trash left by other trick-or-treaters? It’s a great way to keep your neighborhood clean and teach others the right way to enjoy this holiday. This Halloween-themed coloring sheet is a great way to teach your kids about the importance of putting trash in its place!

All Those Falling Leaves!

Autumn is a great time to begin composting. All those fallen leaves on your property, along with food scraps and pumpkin rinds left over from Halloween parties can be composted into some amazing soil for your garden and lawn. The City of Los Angeles’ Backyard Composting Program offers free home composting workshops and composting bin sales. Los Angeles has a full calendar of backyard composting events.

These Tips = Treats

Each one of these tips can become part of your every day life. Make every day stormwater-friendly by using canvas bags when you go shopping, picking up just a few pieces of trash as your walk around your neighborhood and by exploring the year-round benefits of backyard composting. Halloween may be a holiday of treats for children, but incorporating these simple tips into your daily lifestyle will have long lasting treats, in the form of cleaner rivers, creeks, lakes and bays, for us all!

Do you have any special stormwater-friendly Halloween or autumn “tricks” or tips to share with us? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

Photos courtesy of Kevin Poh and gomattolson.