Tips for a more Eco-Friendly Halloween

I am very much for living a low-waste life most of the year, but I have to admit I still love Trick-or-Treating. Halloween has been my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember. I grew up in spooky New England where everything had an older, creepy feel – especially come October. As a kid, I thought about my Halloween costume year-round (surely changing my mind 50 times before the actual date). Halloween night meant trick-or-treating with friends from the neighborhood and our families, gathering copious amounts of candy, and trying to convince the first timers to trade their Reeses for our Necco Wafers.

Despite the magic of the season, we can’t simply ignore the waste that Halloween creates. The waste from the candy wrappers alone if unfathomable. Skipping the traditional Halloween festivities all-together does seem to be the most planet-friendly solution. But if you’re like me and want to participate in the spirit of Halloween, here are a few tips to reduce your waste and have a more green Halloween!

Tips for a Less Wasteful, Green Halloween

Homemade Halloween Costumes

Look for ways to create your ideal costume with items from around your house, from a thrift store, or borrowed from friends or family. In a recent poll we conducted on Instagram, 100% of voters said they preferred Homemade Halloween Costumes to store bought ones! The consensus seems to be that anyone can buy a Halloween costume, but people love seeing the thought and creativity put into homemade costumes.

Hit the Thrift Stores for Awesome Halloween Costume Finds

Thrift stores are great in general and they can be AMAZING as far as Halloween costumes go! You’ll get the same costume as buying a new one and you’ll save lots of money in the process. Plus, you will be keeping another costume out of a landfill. Way to go!

Use Real, Seasonal Foods to Decorate

Autumn is the time when pumpkins, squashes, mums, and gourds are in abundance and can be used as beautiful decorations. The best part is, you don’t need to worry about storing these the rest of the year. Use them up! Once it’s time for them to decompose they can return to the earth.

Skip the Plastic Pumpkin and Halloween Pails

If you are considering buying a treat bucket – don’t! They break easily and will only eventually end up in a landfill. Look for something around the house you can use instead – beach bag, backpack, grocery bag? **Insider Tip** Your pillowcase holds a LOT of candy!

Carving a Pumpkin? – Roast Those Seeds and Put the Guts to Use!

Super easy and tasty – roasted pumpkin seeds makes a great healthy snack! You can also use the gooey insides (including the seeds) to feed to livestock or typical backyard animals. Pumpkin Guts can also be composted! A friend of mine composted her whole rotting pumpkin last Halloween and was pleasantly surprised by two cute baby pumpkins growing out of compost pile this year! Aww!

Don’t Drive on Halloween, Walk around your Neighborhood

Honestly, cars driving around on one of the most pedestrian-filled holidays is the scariest part about Halloween in my opinion. It just seems the risk of an accident is too great. Also, think of all of the fuel it wastes with the stop and go. So go ahead, get the neighborhood kids together, get your walking shoes on, and get trick-or-treating the old fashioned way. Tired little ones? Consider a wagon or baby carrier. Sorry dad, you still have to walk.

Donate Your Old Halloween Costumes

If keeping the costume for play or dress up is not an option, consider donating your old Halloween costumes to a local thrift store, library, or a school’s theater department. This will give your old costume a second life and make a big difference for someone who could get more use out of it.

What do you think? Are you already implementing some or all of these ideas? What is the most creative homemade costume you’ve ever seen? Happy Green Halloween!

 If you liked this article and would like to hear more or share some ideas, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Contact Us to join our e-mail list. Please consider supporting our blog and the women who write it by sharing it with a friend, or making an eco-friendly purchase from our store ! <3 XOXO