A greener Halloween: Scare friends, not the planet

Discover eco friendly Halloween tips to reduce waste and reuse more

Dan Stokes

October 25, 2021

How to celebrate Halloween sustainably

Halloween is a fun and creative time of year but it can also generate a frightening amount of waste. In the UK alone, spending has risen sharply in recent years, bringing with it more single-use plastics, food waste and discarded costumes.

The good news? With a few simple changes, you can enjoy all the fun of Halloween while reducing your impact on the environment.

Happy Halloween

Get creative with decorations

You don’t need to buy new decorations every year. Instead, reuse everyday household items to create spooky displays:

  • Turn tin cans, egg cartons and cardboard into creepy crafts
  • Make puppets or decorations from old packaging
  • Create paper chains using recycled paper or newspaper
  • Use toilet roll tubes to make bats, ghosts or witches

These decorations can often be reused year after year, or recycled afterwards.

Rethink costumes

Many Halloween costumes are only worn once. Instead:

  • Reuse last year’s outfit or mix and match items
  • Visit charity shops for unique, low-cost costumes
  • Swap costumes with friends or host a costume swap party
  • Upcycle old clothes into new creations (e.g. scarecrows or bunting)

You can even reuse costumes as decorations or turn them into keepsakes like quilts.

Make the most of your pumpkin

Around 10 million pumpkins are grown in the UK each year, yet many go uneaten.

  • Use the flesh to cook soups, pies or other recipes
  • Try healthier pumpkin-based snacks
  • Compost leftovers or leave them for wildlife (remove candles/decorations first)

Reducing pumpkin waste is one of the easiest ways to make Halloween more sustainable.

Choose better treats

When buying sweets:

  • Look for minimal or recyclable packaging
  • Avoid hard-to-recycle wrappers where possible
  • Consider eco-conscious brands

For trick-or-treating, skip plastic buckets and use:

  • Reusable bags
  • Decorated pillowcases
  • Repurposed containers like old tubs

Host a low-waste Halloween party

If you’re planning a party:

  • Avoid disposable plates and cutlery (or use compostable options)
  • Plan food portions to reduce waste
  • Save and reuse decorations for future events

You can even host a fancy dress party to get more use out of costumes.

Halloween doesn’t have to be wasteful. By reusing decorations, reducing packaging, and making thoughtful choices, you can cut down on waste while still enjoying the celebrations.

This year, treat the environment kindly—and keep the scares just for fun.

 

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author, Dan Stokes, and do not necessarily reflect the views of recycle-more, Valpak Limited, or any other organisation.