Halloween

Halloween is approaching, and the idea of being sustainable during that time can be overwhelming and scary! This Waste Not Wednesday, we’re taking away the fear of failure by empowering you with a few simple ideas to reduce waste this Halloween while still having fun!

With pop-up Halloween stores filling every vacant strip mall and neighbors competing for the most impressive skeleton display in town, it’s tempting to go shopping and buy the latest in inflatable lawn decor. The best decorations and costumes are not always the newest though (especially if you are going for a decrepit, Victorian-era, graveyard vibe). Recycling pieces of old items or clothing to create new combinations is easy, affordable, and a great way to reduce plastic packaging and waste. Got an old rocking chair? Set up a speaker with scary music and a string to pull and rock the chair when unsuspecting trick-or-treaters go by! Maybe an old pair of scrubs? You can dress up as a zombie doctor! You can even go thrifting to add the final touches and continue to avoid packaging waste.

Besides costumes and decorations, Halloween is candy’s time to shine! It’s great to avoid the plastic waste involved in Big Candy if you can by buying local or bulk treats and divvying them up into sustainable bags. Even if you can’t avoid a bag of candy from the supermarket, you can reduce plastic by using reusable tote bags instead of buying new plastic pumpkins or cheap Halloween bags every year. If you are throwing or attending a party, there are also great options for sustainable party items (pumpkins, straw, apples, black dishes, reusable cutlery) rather than single-use plastics. Not only can you use pumpkins to create a stylish Jack-o-Lantern for your party, you can turn the inside into a pie for your guests!

A sustainable Halloween doesn’t have to be a boring or expensive one. With some clever ideas and intentional choices, you can enjoy the Halloween season without building up a terrifying mountain of waste!