How to green your Halloween: Part 1 of 3

The economy may have lost steam and the country's future leadership may be wildly unclear, but there's one thing we can count on: Halloween. Yes, October 31 is a holiday of certainty, full of ringing doorbells, sweet treats, and tiny ghosts and witches. But All Hallow's Eve has a spooky flip side, laced with refined sugar, vinyl costumes, and other horrors that can give you the eco-shivers. If you want a greener fright night, here's part one on how to start:

Level One: The Baby Steps
Fright, not light. Nothing simultaneously creeps out the neighbor kids and reduces energy use like a dark, spooky house, so give your filaments the night off. Send the message that you're still home and not merely hoarding the goods with a strand of LED lights or a jack-o-lantern on the porch. If you light with candles, choose beeswax or soy and skip the scary lead and petroleum in paraffin ones.

BYO bag. Kids and plastics go together like vampires and garlic, so forgo the plastic pumpkin or novelty bag for carrying treats. Instead, use something you already have on hand, like a pillowcase or a canvas tote. If the kids resist, point out the obvious: Way more candy fits in there!

Check back in soon for the next part in our three part eco-Halloween series.