4 Ways To Have An Eco-Friendly Halloween

Halloween is such a fun time for kids (and adults!) to embrace all things spooky. Carving pumpkins, getting dressed up and going trick or treating is all part of the fun, but it’s also worth considering the impact that Halloween can have on the environment.

The good news is that with some simple actions and changes you can be more green this spooky season. Here are our tips for how you can have an eco-friendly Halloween. 

Costumes

Shockingly, approximately 7 million Halloween costumes are thrown away each year in the UK according to this Hubbub study. This waste is adding to landfills unnecessarily, so why not consider your costume options this year? 

- Reuse, or upcycle

If you have Halloween costumes from previous years then why not re-wear them, or upcycle them to create a fresh outfit? Maybe you can use some parts of old costumes or clothing to create a new costume entirely. Check out these great homemade Halloween costume ideas for inspiration.

- Swap

Or, why not swap Halloween costumes with friends and family so you get to wear something new without any expense or waste.

- Rent

Instead of buying a new costume, you could rent one, that way you can choose a different costume to rent each year. Halloween costume rentals are gaining in popularity so there will be plenty of options for you to choose from.

- Buy secondhand

Another option would be to buy a secondhand Halloween costume and you’ll probably find some in charity shops or on ebay.

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are the symbol of Halloween and are great fun to carve, but they are also one of the most wasteful elements of the season. Millions of people simply throw out their Pumpkin once Halloween is over when they have lots of uses.

The pumpkin flesh and seeds can both be cooked and BBC Good Food has some amazing recipes that you can follow to create some tasty dishes. You could also fill your pumpkin with seeds to feed the birds and wildlife in your garden. Additionally, you can take the pumpkin seeds and plant them in your garden to grow for next year. Or, at the very least you can put your pumpkin in your composter. 

Also, remember to use either soy-based or beeswax candles to illuminate your pumpkins. Soy-based or beeswax candles burn cleaner and are biodegradable, from renewable sources.

Decorations

Rather than buying new decorations every year, you could make your own. Making your own Halloween decorations is a really fun activity for kids of all ages. It allows them to get creative while saving money at the same time. You could use parts of your old Halloween costumes to decorate your house, get creative with cardboard to create tombstones and skeletons and make ghosts out of old bedsheets. 

If you do buy decorations, again think about buying secondhand decorations or buy high quality, reusable decorations that you will use each year.

Trick or Treating

If you're planning to go trick-or-treating this year, make sure to use a reusable bag to bring your treats home in, rather than buying a cheap plastic bucket. You could even decorate a tote bag or an old pillowcase with a Halloween theme.

For your own Trick or Treating sweets and snacks opt for chocolate bars and sweets wrapped in paper and foil, rather than plastic. Or make your own treats! Have a look at this great guide for some sweet ideas.

Conclusion

We hope you find these tips useful so that you and your family can enjoy the Halloween festivities and play your part in looking after the environment too. With these actionable changes, we can make a real difference in reducing waste and making the planet’s future a little less scary.