Tips for a Happy and Green Halloween

DIY Costume

Creating your Halloween costume is an excellent way to minimize waste. You probably have something in your closet that you can use to turn yourself into a spooky character. If you're not feeling particularly creative, you can always opt for the classic sheet ghost or a simple witch look.

Purchase a Sustainably Produced Costume

If your heart is set on a specific costume, consider purchasing from a sustainable fashion brand or ensure that the materials used are recyclable. Avoid petroleum-based plastics and non-recyclable materials like polyester.

Scary fact: People in the US throw away around 35 million Halloween costumes each year. 83% of Halloween costumes are made from non-recyclable plastics, and most can take up to 200 years to decompose. 

Make Eco-Friendly Halloween Decorations

Consider repurposing items for sustainable Halloween decor, such as upcycling cardboard for wall decorations or using old magazines for cut-out spiders and ghosts.

Scary fact: Americans spend around $2.36 billion on plastic decorations annually, which take hundreds of years to break down in landfills.

Buy Locally Grown Pumpkins

Support local businesses and farmers by shopping locally for your pumpkins! Find a nearby farm and make a day out of choosing the perfect jack-o'-lantern. You can also reduce food waste by preparing recipes using the insides, such as pumpkin pie or roasted pumpkin seeds.

Scary fact: The US throws away over 1 billion pounds of pumpkins each year, which is over 80% of the 1.3 billion pounds purchased. When pumpkins decompose in landfills, they release methane gas, which is 28 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. Be sure to compost your pumpkins!

Reusable Trick or Treat Bags

Save money and re-purpose a tote bag or bucket for trick or treating. Many plastic Halloween buckets you purchase in a store only get used once — now that's scary! Who says using an old pillowcase or any ‘ole bag isn't cool? It's what's inside that counts. Give it new life by adding some spooky decorations to complete your look.

Eco-Friendly Treats

Consider fair-trade, organic options when shopping for Halloween treats. If those are not in your budget, try to reduce waste by choosing giveaways with minimal or recyclable packaging, like cardboard boxes. You can also consider giving kids something other than candy, like raisins, popcorn, trail mix, or recyclable coloring books.

Scary fact: Americans spend around $2.6 billion on Halloween candy, often wrapped in plastic that can't be recycled.

Sustainable Celebrations

If you’re having some ghoulish friends over, be sure to use compostable tableware for your Halloween feast instead of Styrofoam and single-use plastics.