How to Have an Eco-friendly Halloween

With Halloween right around the corner, we might consider how to enjoy this spooky season in an eco-friendlier way. As much as we love and enjoy Halloween, it’s not hard to look around and see how scary it is for the environment.

From single-use plastic candy wrappers to cheap plastic decorations, Halloween produces a lot of waste.

Here are some easy steps you can take to have an eco-friendly Halloween:

1. Have a sustainable costume each year

Costumes are part of fast fashion and in many cases, they’re made from polyester synthetic fibres that are essentially plastic. Typically, we don’t reuse the same costume every year because you want to have the latest and trendiest so those costumes end up going into a garbage. But instead, we want to reuse those and you can donate those old costumes.

Instead of buying a Halloween costume, consider making one from what you already have around the house. A DIY costume would be a great idea! Or you can go to a thrift store to find something for a costume.

2. Choose natural face paint

Before you reach for that face paint to create a spooky ghost or frightening vampire, make sure you use a natural face paint instead rather risk lifelong damage with cosmetics or face paint that might not be safe for you. It’s also eco-friendlier.  It’s easy to make your own homemade natural face paint . However, if you’re pressed for time, make sure you purchase organic and non-toxic face paint or clean cosmetics.

3. Look for eco-friendly candy options

 Rather than just grabbing the first bag of candy that you see on the shelf in the grocery store, consider and organic chocolate candy or eco-friendly candy option instead. You can buy healthier plastic-free candies bulk or bake Halloween treats yourself. Or you can check out some halloween treats available on our website.

4. Use every part of your Jack-o-lantern

 You can use every single part of your pumpkin or jack-o-lantern to make sure none of it goes to waste. When you’re carving it, you can either save the pulp to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, or pumpkin bread, or you can compost it.

Spread the seeds out on a baking sheet, coat them with a light oil, sprinkle salt on them and bake them for a roasted pumpkin seed snack. When Halloween is over, toss that pumpkin in the compost pile. You just enjoyed a zero-waste jack-o-lantern!

5. Carry a reusable bag

 Those plastic pumpkins kids carry around to collect their candy are practically a symbol of Halloween. However, they are cheaply made and will never breakdown in the landfill. If you already have one of those at home, you can reuse it or choose reusable shopping bags or canvas bags as a trick-or-treat bag. Even better, it’s something you already have in your house, so you don’t have to spend more money.

6. Go for eco-friendly Halloween decoration

Rather buy cheap, plastic Halloween decorations, look for eco-friendly options instead. You can stuff old pillowcases with leaves or newspaper to turn them into homemade ghosts.

If you have black pantyhose that have a run in them, don’t throw them away. Instead, use them to make spooky spider webs.

 LED Halloween lights use less electricity than traditional lights, but an even better option is choosing solar Halloween lights that use zero electricity.

 Another option is to decorate for the fall season instead of Halloween alone. This can include using leaves to make a fall garland, or creating your own fall wreath using leaves, and acorns.

7. Walk for trick-or-treating

 You might be tempted to load everyone in the car to go trick-or-treating. Instead, grab a few flashlights, put on some coats, and walk around the neighborhood. If you have young kids who might not be able to handle a long walk, load them up in a wagon.

Not only is walking a more environmentally friendly option but it also gives you and your children to meet other people in your neighborhood.

With these simple suggestions, you can enjoy an eco-friendly Halloween and feel good that you’re not causing any harm to the environment.