7 Sustainable Halloween Tips for a Spooktacular Celebration

While plastic bags might seem like an easy go-to for trick-or-treating, they can leave a terrifying amount of waste behind in the long run. Americans throw away an estimated 100 billion plastic bags each year, with trick-or-treaters being key contributors. You can easily avoid this wasteful mistake by buying Halloween candy bags that are recyclable. Here are a few sustainable alternatives for your little ones to haul their loot around the neighborhood:

• Brown paper bags
• Pillowcases
• Tote bags
• Backpacks
• Drawstring bags
• Old handbags

In 2021, approximately $3.2 billion was spent on Halloween costumes in the United States. With the average costume price ranging between $77 to $96, that’s over 35 million costumes purchased. The scariest part? Most of these disguises are encased in non-biodegradable plastic. Plastic packaging accounts for 30% of the United States’ solid waste every year according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Halloween costume industry certainly doesn’t help.

You can save money and reduce Halloween costume waste by repurposing old clothes, shopping at thrift stores or sifting through your grandparents’ closet.

Remember the EPA’s scary stat about plastic packaging waste? That 30% includes Halloween candy and snack wrappers. While most of your favorite Halloween candies aren’t wrapped sustainably, certain candy wrappers can be recycled. Even better, there are healthier, more eco-friendly alternatives that never disappoint trick-or-treaters.

• Bulk candy: Buying treats in bulk at your local candy store cuts down individual wrapper waste. You can hand them out in cloth goodie bags or cardboard treat boxes.
• Crayons: Paperless crayons are a great eco-friendly Halloween treat, provided they’re packaged in recyclable cardboard.
• Hershey Kisses: Any candy that’s wrapped in recyclable aluminum is a safe bet for a green Halloween treat.
• Canned Soda: Soda is a sweet treat for kids and the aluminum cans are infinitely recyclable.
• Mint Tins: Aluminum candy tins can either be recycled or reused by trick-or-treaters.

Though most recycling plants don’t accept wrappers, TerraCycle’s Candy and Snack Wrapper Zero Waste Box is one way to responsibly handle Halloween waste from candy. Simply order a small, medium or large box, fill it with treat wrappers and ship it back. “TerraCycle separates and processes the packaging to transform it into new recycled products, such as playgrounds, garden beds and park benches,” says Lauren Taylor, Global Vice President of Creative & Communications at TerraCycle.

With all the fun, spooky décor lining the shelves this time of year, this deadly sin might be the most tempting to commit. Much like costumes, Halloween decorations are typically made of cheap, non-recyclable plastics that wind up in the bottom of your trash can by November 1st. This year, Americans are expected to spend $2.36 billion on plastic decorations for their spooky celebration. For an eco-friendly Halloween, stick to sustainable decorations that can be stored and reused for years to come.

Getting ready to throw a ghastly fun Halloween bash? Festive plates and cups might seem like a no-brainer, but their waxy, colored surfaces make them difficult to recycle. Here are a few ways to keep your party’s waste from haunting the nearest landfill for years to come:

• Use biodegradable or reusable plates and cups.
• Provide finger foods that can be eaten without plates.
• If disposable cups are a must, encourage guests to reuse and write names on them.
• Plate your foods using glass or recyclable containers.
• Recycle aluminum foil and pans.

Ah, The Great Pumpkin problem – about 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkin goes to waste after Halloween each year. These gourds add a tremendous amount of methane, a greenhouse gas, to landfills as they decompose, which can then escape into the atmosphere. Because of this, many curbside services won’t accept them with yard waste pickups, which makes getting rid of pumpkins tricky. Here are a few ways to dispose of your pumpkin responsibly this fall:

• Eat it: Yes, you can eat your jack-o’-lanterns after Halloween, provided the weather stays cool enough to preserve them. While most carving pumpkins aren’t as tasty as their smaller counterparts, their flesh can be pureed and used in pies, soups, sauces and so much more. Make sure to rinse off the pumpkin before pureeing.
• Compost it: If you don’t have a compost bin, find a sunny spot in your yard to place your pumpkins. Slice them up Freddy Kreuger-style and cover with leaves to speed up the composting process.
• Feed it to animals: Cats, dogs, guinea pigs and hamsters can snack on pumpkin seeds and flesh in small amounts, but always check with your vet before serving anything new to your furry friends. No pets at home? Winter is coming, and your local wildlife would love it as a treat. Leave them in the corner of your yard to let local deer, squirrels and chipmunks take care of what’s left of them.

Most Halloween garb is used just once before being thrown away or banished to storage indefinitely. This is especially true with children’s costumes. In fact, over 12 million pounds of textile waste is generated each year in the U.S., and Halloween costumes are a major contributor – nearly 85% of costumes wind up in landfills eventually. If you’re wondering what to do with your old Halloween costumes, you can put them to good use by donating them to organizations who help those in need.