Tricks for cutting waste this Halloween

Halloween is a fun and spooky time of year, filled with costumes, candy, and decorations. However, it can also be a time of excessive waste, with single-use costumes, disposable decorations, and mountains of candy wrappers ending up in the trash every year.

But fear not! Here are several tips and tricks for reducing the amount of stuff that will end up in the trash, while still having fun celebrating all things spooky:

Make your own costume or find one second hand

Instead of purchasing a brand-new costume that you’ll wear only once, consider recycling or upcycling old clothes and accessories. If you’d rather go for a second hand option, thrift stores can be treasure troves for creative costume materials. You can also ask a neighbor for costumes on Buy Nothing or Freecycle.

Host a costume swap

Another way to find a new-to-you Halloween costume is to organize a costume swap with friends or in your community, where people gather and bring used costumes from previous years and trade them. That way, you can get a costume without having to spend any money, while also reducing the demand for a new, disposable one. 

Make your own decorations

Get creative and make your own Halloween decorations from reusable, recyclable and/or natural materials. Craft spooky spiders from egg cartons or create ghosts from old bedsheets or find creative ways to use pumpkins and dried corn. The possibilities are endless– but if you get stuck, a quick internet search for “DIY Halloween decorations” can help give you some inspiration.

Ditch plastic collection bags and buckets

Skip the plastic pumpkin bucket and opt for tote bags or other reusable containers when collecting candy. Fabric totes, baskets, or even pillowcases can be used year after year. 

Cut down on wasteful candy packaging

When buying candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters (or let’s face it– eat yourself), be mindful of the packaging. Double plastic packaging and thick plastic packaging creates more waste, so try to find candy with thin or minimal packaging, or non-plastic wrapping like aluminum foil. And only buy as much candy as you think you’ll need.

Reduce single-use items

If you’re hosting a Halloween party, ditch the disposable plates, cups, and utensils and opt for real dishes and cutlery. And consider serving package-free food and treats to partygoers. 

Reuse as much as you can year after year

Instead of throwing out your costumes and decorations after Halloween is over, save them for next year. 

Happy haunting!