I love celebrating Halloween with the family but I also try to be as eco-friendly in our day-to-day life. I wanted to ensure we are making an effort when it comes to occasions too so let’s start with Halloween and try to make it as environmentally friendly a holiday as we can.
Eco sweets and candy
When you’re looking into what sweets to buy for trick or treaters, or for your Halloween party, make sure the packaging can be recycled. If you know someone locally who makes scary treats why not use them, which will save on food miles. Buy a load of loose sweets and take your own container, then the kids can pick what they like. If that’s out of your price range, bulk buy a large bag of sweets that aren’t individually wrapped, then you only have one bag to throw away or recycle.
Pumpkins
If you have a bit of land in your garden to spare, grow your own pumpkins to save money and the environment, or support a local farm and buy from there. Don’t leave them to rot in a landfill, leave it in your garden for the bugs and birds to enjoy when you’re done, or put them in your compost heap or food waste recycling. Use the filling to make soup or smoothies or if you have a dog, why not have a go at making your own pumpkin dog treats?
Eco Halloween Decorations
Try to avoid plastic decorations where possible. We do have a couple of plastic decorations, but we bring them out year after year. I avoid putting any plastic decorations outside so that they don’t get left to the elements and break into the earth. Try using biodegradable decor like pinecones, twigs, leaves, and reusable decorations. Balloons can be cut up and composted after use.
Eco Halloween costumes
Kids grow so fast they go through a new Halloween costume each year, but I try to use second-hand Halloween costumes so we aren’t buying new each time. We had a good find at a jumble sale recently so that’s Daniel’s costume sorted. Swap with friends who have children close in age, new to them is as good as new. Most of the time you can easily adapt what they have or use something out of your wardrobe to change up. Search Pinterest for options to suit your budget and theme. Use eco face paint if you’re going to use face paint.
Eco Trick or Treat containers
If you haven’t got one already, go for a paper bag rather than plastic, and a metal bucket rather than plastic. If you have a durable plastic one you can use it again and again. If it’s come to the end of its life you can recycle it. You can also use a decorated shoe box or small cardboard box, get creative and see what you can use around the house. We have several baskets and containers we could use if we didn’t have our little buckets.
This post is part of Blogtober.
Pin Me Please
Great tips here for an eco-friendly halloween, I think more people are looking to be more eco-friendly
Great ideas. I did a post about how to use pumpkins and I hadn’t even thought of dog treats. Brilliant! Years ago my friends and our kids were all different ages and we used to swap Halloween costumes each year. x
Great ideas for an eco Halloween. Oh my middle daughter would love to make pumpkin dog treats! xxx
Great ideas. I find the sweet thing difficult because since Covid I do worry more about passing things on with unwrapped sweets, but wrappers need to be disposed of properly and I can only hope that those I’m giving too will do this. I’m currently thinking about making a costume for my son rather than buying one. We left it a bit late last year!