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7 Sustainable Halloween Tips for a Spooktacular Celebration

Kids Holding Pumpkin Trick or Treat Baskets on Halloween
By:Dana Shugrue| Last Updated:07/19/2023
Time to Read: 4 min

How to Reduce Halloween Waste

The Halloween season is a time for all things scary: goblins, ghosts, ghouls…and garbage?

That’s right – on average, a single trick-or-treater generates 1 pound of trash. With over 41 million children taking part in trick-or-treat fun annually, this beloved, spooky holiday has a waste problem that's hard to ignore.

From recycling costumes to disposing of pumpkins, we have sustainable Halloween tips for all your favorite fall festivities.

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7 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Halloween

1. Use Eco-Friendly Halloween Bags

While plastic bags might seem like an easy go-to for trick-or-treating, they can leave a terrifying amount of waste behind in the long run. Americans throw away an estimated 100 billion plastic bags each year, with trick-or-treaters being key contributors. You can easily avoid this wasteful mistake by buying Halloween candy bags that are recyclable. Here are a few sustainable alternatives for your little ones to haul their loot around the neighborhood:

Eco-Friendly Halloween Bags for Trick-or-Treating

  • Brown paper bags
  • Pillowcases
  • Tote bags
  • Backpacks
  • Drawstring bags
  • Old handbags

2. Reduce Halloween Costume Waste

In 2021, approximately $3.2 billion was spent on Halloween costumes in the United States. With the average costume price ranging between $77 to $96, that’s over 35 million costumes purchased. The scariest part? Most of these disguises are encased in non-biodegradable plastic. Plastic packaging accounts for 30% of the United States’ solid waste every year according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Halloween costume industry certainly doesn’t help.

You can save money and reduce Halloween costume waste by repurposing old clothes, shopping at thrift stores or sifting through your grandparents’ closet.

3. Cut Down on Trick-or-Treat Waste

Remember the EPA’s scary stat about plastic packaging waste? That 30% includes Halloween candy and snack wrappers. While most of your favorite Halloween candies aren’t wrapped sustainably, certain candy wrappers can be recycled. Even better, there are healthier, more eco-friendly alternatives that never disappoint trick-or-treaters.

Eco-Friendly Halloween Treat Alternatives

  • Bulk candy: Buying treats in bulk at your local candy store cuts down individual wrapper waste. You can hand them out in cloth goodie bags or cardboard treat boxes.
  • Crayons: Paperless crayons are a great eco-friendly Halloween treat, provided they’re packaged in recyclable cardboard.
  • Hershey Kisses: Any candy that’s wrapped in recyclable aluminum is a safe bet for a green Halloween treat.
  • Canned Soda: Soda is a sweet treat for kids and the aluminum cans are infinitely recyclable.
  • Mint Tins: Aluminum candy tins can either be recycled or reused by trick-or-treaters.
Used Candy Wrappers On Counter

Can Candy Wrappers be Recycled?

Though most recycling plants don’t accept wrappers, TerraCycle’s Candy and Snack Wrapper Zero Waste Box is one way to responsibly handle Halloween waste from candy. Simply order a small, medium or large box, fill it with treat wrappers and ship it back. “TerraCycle separates and processes the packaging to transform it into new recycled products, such as playgrounds, garden beds and park benches,” says Lauren Taylor, Global Vice President of Creative & Communications at TerraCycle.

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“Everything is technically recyclable, but most products and packaging, including candy and snack wrappers, are not accepted by public recycling programs. This is because in the current recycling system, most facilities cannot handle them. Thus, the wrappers are sent to landfill, where they can take years to break down.”
 
Lauren Taylor | Global Vice President, Creative & Communications, TerraCycle
    

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4. Ditch Disposable Decorations

With all the fun, spooky décor lining the shelves this time of year, this deadly sin might be the most tempting to commit. Much like costumes, Halloween decorations are typically made of cheap, non-recyclable plastics that wind up in the bottom of your trash can by November 1st. This year, Americans are expected to spend $2.36 billion on plastic decorations for their spooky celebration. For an eco-friendly Halloween, stick to sustainable decorations that can be stored and reused for years to come.

5. Have a Party With Sustainable Halloween Decorations

Getting ready to throw a ghastly fun Halloween bash? Festive plates and cups might seem like a no-brainer, but their waxy, colored surfaces make them difficult to recycle. Here are a few ways to keep your party’s waste from haunting the nearest landfill for years to come:

Tips for Throwing a Green Halloween Party

  • Use biodegradable or reusable plates and cups.
  • Provide finger foods that can be eaten without plates.
  • If disposable cups are a must, encourage guests to reuse and write names on them.
  • Plate your foods using glass or recyclable containers.
  • Recycle aluminum foil and pans.
Kid Carving Pumpkin for Halloween

6. Dispose of Your Pumpkin Responsibly

Ah, The Great Pumpkin problem – about 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkin goes to waste after Halloween each year. These gourds add a tremendous amount of methane, a greenhouse gas, to landfills as they decompose, which can then escape into the atmosphere. Because of this, many curbside services won’t accept them with yard waste pickups, which makes getting rid of pumpkins tricky. Here are a few ways to dispose of your pumpkin responsibly this fall:

How to Sustainably Dispose of Your Pumpkin After Halloween

  • Eat it: Yes, you can eat your jack-o’-lanterns after Halloween, provided the weather stays cool enough to preserve them. While most carving pumpkins aren’t as tasty as their smaller counterparts, their flesh can be pureed and used in pies, soups, sauces and so much more. Make sure to rinse off the pumpkin before pureeing.
  • Compost it: If you don’t have a compost bin, find a sunny spot in your yard to place your pumpkins. Slice them up Freddy Kreuger-style and cover with leaves to speed up the composting process.
  • Feed it to animals: Cats, dogs, guinea pigs and hamsters can snack on pumpkin seeds and flesh in small amounts, but always check with your vet before serving anything new to your furry friends. No pets at home? Winter is coming, and your local wildlife would love it as a treat. Leave them in the corner of your yard to let local deer, squirrels and chipmunks take care of what’s left of them.

Where does trash go? This post tells you everything you should know!

7. Repurpose or Donate Your Old Costume

Most Halloween garb is used just once before being thrown away or banished to storage indefinitely. This is especially true with children’s costumes. In fact, over 12 million pounds of textile waste is generated each year in the U.S., and Halloween costumes are a major contributor – nearly 85% of costumes wind up in landfills eventually. If you’re wondering what to do with your old Halloween costumes, you can put them to good use by donating them to organizations who help those in need.

Where to Donate Halloween Costumes

You can throw away latex paint, but make sure to do it properly. Follow these three easy steps to safely get rid of latex paint.

  1. Remove the lid and toss it. Then, dispose of the can separately.
  2. If you’re planning to throw the paint can away, let the remaining paint dry out first. To accelerate the drying process, mix cat litter into the paint.
  3. If you participate in curbside recycling, pour the remaining paint into a carboard box and place the empty can in your recycling bin. Let the paint dry, then toss the box in your trash can.

If you’re disposing of latex paint and want to go the curbside route, make sure your municipality accepts it. Local regulations vary from city to city, and yours may prohibit old paint disposal. Planning to recycle your old paint? Recycling rules also vary, so double-check those as well.

‘WEEN DREAM

This New Orleans-based nonprofit provides free Halloween costumes to children and families in need across America. "Anyone in the United States can apply to receive Halloween costumes," says Allie Womac, COO of 'WEEN DREAM. "Our first Halloween was in 2014 and we costumed roughly 500 kids, most of them in the greater New Orleans area. Since then, we have costumed almost 10,000 kids across America in 35 states!"

Costume donations can be sent to 3001 River Rd. Jefferson, LA 70121.

The Halloween Helpers

Founded in 2008 by then 11-year-old Emma Shapiro, The Halloween Helpers provides gently used costumes to nonprofit agencies that serve children around the world. “There are thousands of children each year who cannot afford to receive a new costume,” says Ilyse Shapiro, Emma’s mother. “They rely on The Halloween Helpers to provide them with a clean and complete costume each year.”

The Halloween Helpers accept Halloween costume donations year-round. To donate your child’s costume, you can mail it via UPS to PO Box 19, Wynnewood, PA 19096.

Theatre Development Fund (TDF)

The TDF is a nonprofit organization that aims to make the art of theatre accessible to all. Its Costume Collection program provides costumes to schools, colleges and charitable organizations who don’t have the production budget to purchase them. Plus, the TDF can take costumes of all sizes and age groups, from child to adult.

American Textile Recycling Service

While recycling Halloween costumes is difficult due to the low quality of the fabrics, the ATRS does take costumes and shoes in their Neighborhood Donation Bins. “Gather up your gently used items, drop them off where you live, work and play and feel good knowing they will be used again by someone else in need, creating and brighter greener future for us all,” says Debra Stevenson Peganyee of ATRS.

To donate your old Halloween costume to ATRS, call the 24-hour hotline to find a 24/7/365 drop-off location near you.

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“Make the most of your donations by banding together shoes in pairs with a simple string, baggie tie or kitchen elastic. Costumes with sharp attachments or multiple components should be placed in individual bags to avoid snagging or damaging other donations. Put jewelry and other small items into sandwich bags or small boxes to avoid breakage and preserve their value.”
 
Debra Stevenson Peganyee | Chief Marketing Officer, American Textile Recycling Service
    

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Lit Jack-o-Lanterns On Porch

Put the "Care" in "Scare" When You Reduce Halloween Waste

While you may enjoy terrorizing your friends and neighbors this time of year, these Halloween waste facts should keep you from terrorizing the environment. Celebrating sustainably is easier than it seems. Now that you know how to reduce your eco-footprint, you can enjoy a good scare that doesn’t hurt your budget or the planet.

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