Zero Waste McMaster holds hike and Halloween workshop
Zero Waste McMaster’s Hike and Halloween workshop encouraged students to enjoy the season and adopt practical, sustainable habits both for Halloween and throughout the year
Zero Waste McMaster organized a Hike and Halloween workshop to promote sustainable practices among students on Oct. 29, 2024. The event consisted of a hike through Cootes Paradise, followed by a workshop focused on reducing waste during Halloween festivities.
Co-president of Zero Waste McMaster Sonia Chernov spoke to the Silhouette about the event before it occurred. Participants learned ways to repurpose pumpkin scraps, with a pumpkin scrap cookbook available on the Zero Waste McMaster website. “Our goal is for students to leave with sustainability-related skills that are easy to implement and can be used in the long run,” said Chernov.
Our goal is for students to leave with sustainability-related skills that are easy to implement and can be used in the long run.
Sonia Chernov, Co-President
Zero Waste McMaster
To minimize waste this Halloween season, Chernov urges students to use thrift stores or DIY methods for costumes, noting that full costumes are often available for reuse. For those interested in creating their own costumes, Chernov highlighted resources available at the Makerspace in Thode Library, where students can make and sew costumes.
Regarding decorations, students are encouraged to use natural, biodegradable materials like leaves and corn husks. The workshop promoted using heirloom or deformed pumpkins for decoration, which can serve the same purpose as conventional pumpkins but result in less waste.
In addition to the Hike and Halloween workshop, Zero Waste McMaster has planned a series of future initiatives. Chernov mentioned that future plans include a mending workshop at the Thode Makerspace in November, a sustainable holidays workshop in December and various campus cleanups. Other events will focus on topics such as cooking with food scraps and making Valentine’s Day cards from homemade paper.
Students interested in participating in these events or becoming involved with Zero Waste McMaster can sign up as general members through the organization’s Linktree.
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