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Contact: Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor
Milifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca

This issue:

(Y Listed: The top 10 best Halloween candy

(¥Y Studio Ghibli en vogue

(Y Life without an immune system

And more!

The ECO-nomist and the packaging wars

» Avoiding packaging overload

Brittney MacDonald
Life & Style Editor
Mlifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca

 

all and winter seem to be the
worst seasons for packaging
overload, especially with food.

considering the cooler months
are when people tend to cook

with a stove or an oven when it’s
August? Though being conscious
of the amount of landfill garbage

save you any money, it also won't
cost you anything besides a few
fewer trips to the dumpster.
Being aware of packaging when
you grocery shop is an easy

way for anyone to begin their
conservation journey without the
risk of becoming that one friend

and saving the whales—which
you should totally do by the way.

Whales are awesome. But putting : on
: the packaging is made of. Try

that aside, how can you tell good

: packaging from bad packaging?

Starting with the most

: basic, look at the amount of

: packaging there is. Is there a

: separate bag for each element in
: the bag or box? Single servings

: and individual portions are
This is somewhat understandable : 0torious for doing this, so try

: and avoid them. A good example
: to consider is to look at Pop-Tarts
more—I mean, who wants to deal : Versus Toaster Strudels. Pop-

: Tarts are wrapped two at a time
: in foil, which are then placed

: ina box containing about three
you are producing probably won't of the foil packages. Toaster

: Strudels, on the other hand, are

: all packaged together inside a

: plastic bag in the box. You have

: the same amount of food, just

: less packaging because there are

: two fewer bags to throw out. am
: aware that the foil packages are

: smaller than the Toaster Strudel
who wont’ shut up about organics ! bag; however, end-to-end the foil
: packages cover more surface area

: than the plastic bag.

Next, look at the material

: and find things with cardboard
packaging or packaging which :
: advertises that it’s biodegradable. :
: Avoid anything that isn’t :
: recyclable if you can. Hard

: plastics are generally good

: because you can reuse the

: containers, but Styrofoam can : :
: never serve another purpose, and : |

: it won't break down ina landfill. :

Finally, make sure you

: dispose of your trash properly.

: Not only should you take the

: time to sort recyclables—some

: districts have some pretty hefty

: fines for people who don’t—but

: also ensure that what you do end
: up throwing out is safe. What I

: mean by this is that it won't pose
: any harm to the environment.

: For example, we all saw the

: Sesame Street and Barney

: episodes where the kids learn to:
: cut up the plastic rings that come :
: around pop cans, but you might
: be surprised by the number

: of people who forget about it.

: [know it might seem tedious,

 

: but birds, fish, turtles, and

: squirrels—all sorts of animals—
: can get caught in those things,

: and die asa result. The same goes :
: for boxes and cans. Crushing or

I’m not saying you need to

: give up on packaging entirely. I

Image via www.taringa.net

: mean, come on, that’s a little
: impractical considering just
: how much of it surrounds us.

But making an effort to reduce

: the amount of stuff you need
flattening them ensures that they :
: take up less space and that no

: animals can get stuck in them.

to throw away later is an easy

: option that will help out the

: environment—not to mention
: you won't have to take out the
: trash as often.

 

Halloween activities across the Vancouver area

» Spooky times for October weekends

Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

Hi" Halloween, boils and
ghouls! The holiday falls

on a Saturday this year, meaning
there are two spooky weekends
for the October festivities.
Haunted themed activities are
abundant across the Greater
Vancouver area, with something
for everyone to enjoy. Whether
it’s a slightly-spooky family-
friendly event for the wee ones
or a no-ghosts-barred terrifying
time for those truly in the spirit,
October is the most horror-ific
time since election season.

Family-friendly/slightly-scary

Pumpkin patch/corn maze/
hayride:

These public areas offer a
place to find the perfect jack-’o-
lantern and learn more about
agriculture. Offering autumn
activities and fun specifically for
children, these attractions exist
all across the Lower Mainland,
including Eagle Acres Pumpkin
Patch (Langley), Hazelmere
Pumpkin Patch (Surrey), Port
Kells Nurseries (Surrey), and
Richmond Country Farms

(Richmond).

: Burnaby Village Museum’s
: Haunted Village:

The Burnaby Village

: Museum is a small village that

: shows what the early 1900s were

: like in Vancouver, with period

: actors, tours, and a restored

: carousel, From October 28-30,

: the museum will be hosting their
: annual Haunted Village event,

: which will feature trick-or-

: treating, anda circus sideshow.

Stanley Park Ghost Train:

Take a spooky tour through

: the Stanley Park forest on the

: park’s miniature train. Full of

: spooky set-ups and exhibits, the
: train-ride’s 2015 theme is Horror
: Classics, featuring appearances

: from Dracula, Frankenstein, and
: other horror icons.

: Mature audiences only/bring a
: change of pants adventures

Fright Nights:

Located on the PNE

fairgrounds, this year’s

: attractions include seven

: haunted houses, lit-up

: amusement park rides, gory

: physical comedians, and a

: fire performing troupe. Other
: features (perhaps the most

: terrifying of all) include long
: lines, drunk teenagers, and BC’s
: October weather.

: Potter’s House of Horrors:

Located in Surrey, Potter’s

: Farm & Nursery has been

: transformed into two full-size,

: deluxe haunted houses. With

: a different theme every year,

: this year’s houses are named

: The Ripper of Whitechapel

: and Swamp Slaughterhouse.

: While the houses themselves

: are definitely not for the faint of
: heart, a good portion of the fun
? is enjoying the horror movies, :
: refreshments, and 25-foot talking :
: pumpkin king while waiting in
: line.

: Haunted Trolley Tours:

A two-and-a-half-hour

: tour of Vancouver featuring the
: scariest real-life locations of

: the city: a graveyard, multiple

: murder locations, and a tour

: of the autopsy room in the

: Vancouver Police Museum.

: Fearmongers Haunted House:

Only in its second

: Halloween season, Fearmongers
: is an intensive, hour-long go with :
: 14 rooms and a Greek Mythology :
: theme that features live animals,
: rodents, and reptiles. Strictly

: 19+, the attraction also features

  

: a lounge sponsored by Granville
: Island Brewing, where you can
: regain some of the body fluids
: scared out of you during the tour. :
: Asan added bonus, a portion
: ofall ticket sales go directly to
: BC Children’s Hospital. For the

> attraction to seek.

: Various Halloween Parties:

For anyone too old to

: trick-or-treat and too young to

Image via thinkstock

: die, Halloween is really about
: one thing: getting absolutely
: hammered and partying!

Throughout October, practically

every Vancouver club or bar will
: be holding some sort of “scary”

: promotion on the weekends
true horror enthusiast, this is the :
: $8 for a highball). For full details,
: check out any place downtown

: known for its booze-serving.

(even ifthe real fright is paying