🎃 How to Have a Low-Waste Halloween

Halloween is fun until you realize it leaves behind more trash than treats. Plastic candy wrappers, cheap polyester costumes, single-use decorations… it all adds up fast.

But the good news? You can still have a spooky, creative, and totally Instagram-worthy Halloween without the waste. Here’s how:

 

👻 1. Ditch the Fast Fashion Costumes

Most store-bought costumes are made from cheap synthetic fabrics (aka plastic) that shed microfibers and fall apart after one wear.
Go green instead:

• Thrift it: Hit your local thrift store or closet dive with friends.
• DIY it: Mix and match clothes you already own  black dress + hat = witch. Boom.
• Swap it: Organize a costume swap with friends or your community. One person’s cat costume is another’s Halloween gold.

 

2. Decorate Without the Plastic Graveyard

Plastic pumpkins and tinsel ghosts look festive  for one night  then haunt landfills forever.
Better ideas:

• Go natural: Use pumpkins, dried leaves, branches, or candles (soy or beeswax).
• Get crafty: Cardboard bats, paper ghosts, and upcycled jar lanterns.
• Reuse: Store your decorations and bring them back each year instead of buying new.

 

3. Rethink the Candy Game

Traditional Halloween candy comes wrapped in single-use plastic  and those wrappers can’t be recycled.
Sustainable sweet swaps:

• Hand out boxed treats like raisins or paper-wrapped candies.
• Buy in bulk and pack in small paper bags.
• If you’re hosting a party, serve homemade goodies or fruit-based snacks.
• Bonus: Look for brands that use compostable or recyclable packaging.

4. Treat Bags That Last

Forget those plastic pumpkin buckets.
Try instead:

• A canvas tote, pillowcase, or reusable cloth bag sturdy, washable, and waste-free.
• Let kids decorate their own  it doubles as a craft activity.

5. Compost Your Pumpkin

Once Halloween’s over, don’t toss your jack-o’-lantern in the trash.
Do this instead:

• Compost it or bury it in the garden.
• Roast the seeds for snacks.
• Blend the leftovers into a natural face mask (pumpkin is loaded with vitamins A & C!).

6. Mind Your Energy

Skip the battery-operated decorations that eat up disposable batteries.
Go old school: Use candles, solar lights, or LED bulbs  they’re spookier and smarter.

 

A low-waste Halloween isn’t about being perfect it’s about being intentional. The best part? You’ll save money, spark creativity, and avoid contributing to the post-Halloween landfill apocalypse.

Go scare responsibly. 🎃