Spooky season is creeping up, and while we all love the thrills and chills, there’s nothing scarier than the impact our festivities can have on the environment. The good news? You can still have a haunted, hair-raising Halloween without ghosting on your eco-friendly values. Here’s how you can create a sustainable Halloween that’s kind to both the planet and your party guests!

1. Ditch the Single-Use Plastic Decorations

Those plastic pumpkins and skeletons might look cute now, but they’ll haunt landfills for centuries. Instead, embrace the beauty of reusable, DIY, or natural decorations. Upcycle old clothes into creepy scarecrows, use fallen leaves to craft garlands, or carve real pumpkins (don’t forget to compost them later!). For a spooky glow, try LED lights or solar-powered lanterns to light up your porch or yard in an energy-efficient way. Whatever you do – don’t use the fake cobweb stuff. Birds, bats and other wildlife can get caught up in it and turn into a real horror show.

Pro tip: If you’re crafty, old bedsheets can become ghostly apparitions, and cardboard boxes can transform into spooky signs!

2. Costume Creativity: Go Thrift or DIY

The ghoulish truth is that fast fashion and cheap, mass-produced costumes contribute significantly to textile waste. Instead of buying something new, dig through your wardrobe, borrow from friends, or hit up a thrift store to piece together a one-of-a-kind outfit. Think outside the (coffin-shaped) box: when I was a kid my mom took an orange cloth mop and an old red dress and made me a Raggedy Ann costume complete with her using a red magic marker to make stripes on some tights. Another year, my sister decided at the last minute that she wanted to be a dinosaur so my mom whipped out some construction paper and a stapler and made my sister a very colorful costume.

Bonus: You can organize a costume swap with friends or neighbors to give those old outfits a second life.

3. Eco-Friendly Treats (Without the Tricks)

Halloween isn’t Halloween without candy, but all those tiny plastic wrappers? Not so sweet for the environment. There’s always, Junior Mints and Milk Duds. They’re not the trendiest candy but you can still get them in mini boxes that come inside a bigger box. Recyclable and no plastic involved. If you have access to a commercial composting faciility, there are now M&M’s sold in compostable bags – but they are not recyclable and shouldn’t go in your personal compost bin. This does not address the ingredients(looking at you Palm Oil) but some people won’t let their kids have anything that isn’t easily recognizable so these might be the lesser of evils. Or, you could buy bulk candy and create your own small, recyclable treat bags using paper or reusable cloth. Opt for organic, fair-trade chocolates, or candies with compostable packaging. I’ll try to do a post on candies with more eco-friendly ingredients in the future.

Want to go greener? Support local bakers and treat your guests to homemade, eco-conscious treats—just be sure to check for allergies!

4. Green Your Trick-or-Treat Bag

Plastic buckets and bags may be iconic, but why not make your trick-or-treat bags part of your sustainable Halloween makeover? Repurpose an old pillowcase, use a cloth tote bag, or even turn a cardboard box into a spooky, themed candy carrier. For an extra DIY touch, let kids decorate their own bags with Halloween-themed art (non-toxic paints, of course!).

5. Compost Those Pumpkins

We all love carving pumpkins, but don’t let your jack-o’-lantern end up in the trash! After Halloween, compost your pumpkins or donate them to a local farm to feed the animals. If you’re feeling extra creative, roast the seeds for a tasty treat or use the leftover pumpkin flesh in delicious fall recipes. The planet and your taste buds will thank you!

6. Plan a Low-Waste Party

If you’re hosting a Halloween bash, think about how you can minimize waste. Swap out disposable cups and plates for reusable ones, or at least opt for biodegradable versions made from bamboo or palm leaves. When it comes to party favors, skip the plastic trinkets and go for something meaningful, like small plants or homemade spooky crafts. And if you’re serving food, source ingredients locally and whip up seasonal, zero-waste dishes.

7. Get Your Community Involved

Sometimes, being eco-friendly is easier when everyone gets on board. Why not organize a community costume swap, host a pumpkin compost drop-off, or plan a neighborhood trick-or-treat trail that encourages walking instead of driving from house to house? The more people involved, the greater the impact—and the more fun!

Final Thoughts

This Halloween, you can still embrace all the thrills and chills without sacrificing your eco-friendly values. By being a little more mindful of our choices—whether it’s through costume swaps, upcycled decorations, or low-waste party planning—we can keep the planet from getting too spooked by our Halloween habits.

So, this year, let’s make the scariest thing about Halloween the costumes, not the environmental impact!

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading!