How to have an eco-friendly Halloween: 7 sustainable ideas
Halloween is a great excuse for a party, to interact with your community and for your kids to have all sorts of fun ‘trick or treating’. With all the costumes, treats and decorations it can be tricky to be eco-friendly, but it doesn’t have to be!
Here are our fun tips to be sustainable this Halloween.
1. Surprise your local farmers with huge support
Why not treat Halloween as an opportunity to show your support to local farmers? There are loads of pumpkin farmers all around the country who grow this hardy veg and many of them will sell directly to the customer – like you – as well as to big supermarkets. Some of them will even let you go into the fields and pick your own pumpkin!
Remember, the closer the farmer is to you the smaller the carbon footprint of that vegetable is. Pick an organic pumpkin and you’ll help reduce that figure even more!
2. Spook your neighbours with sustainable Halloween decorations
You can make everything from skeletons to tombstones with a bit of cardboard, some scissors and some eco-friendly paints! Plus, when you’re done, the cardboard can be recycled or even composted. Not only is this environmentally friendly, it can provide a great family activity in the run-up to Halloween.
3. Swerve flamable, unsustainable halloween costumes
Getting sustainable with Halloween costumes is important. It doesn’t necessarily mean getting your sewing machine out, but it might mean buying second hand, upcycling clothes you already have; or even getting creative with a big cardboard box.
4. How to reduce Halloween waste
One of the biggest issues with Halloween is the waste that’s created. There are thousands of wrappers from individual sweets, single-use costumes and decorations, and much, much more!
Why not do your bit to cut down on the rubbish? You could try making your own treats, or if you’re going to hand out sweets – opt for ones wrapped in paper, not plastic.
6. What should you do with your Halloween pumpkin?
Before you throw your pumpkin away, try these eco-friendly ways so it doesn’t go to waste:
- Chop it up and add it to your compost bin or bury it directly in the soil – it’s packed with nutrients for your soil.
- Avoid leaving pumpkins out in public wooded areas, as they can harm the wildlife. The Wildlife Trust has warned that pumpkins can make hedgehogs seriously ill.
- If your pumpkin is past its best, check if your local council or community garden has a seasonal food waste drop-off.
6. Can you use your Halloween pumpkin for cooking?
There are lots of things that you can make with your Halloween pumpkin, so make sure to use all the delicious goodness inside after carving it. We’ve found some great pumpkin recipes available on BBC good food. Some of our favourites include:
- Toasted pumpkin seeds – easy to do and uses all the insides.
- Pumpkin soup – a simple recipe, perfect as a winter warmer.
- Pumpkin pie – who doesn’t love pumpkin pie?
- Dog treats made with pumpkin so your canine friend can get in on the festivities as well.
- You can even make a body scrub out of it.
7. Green up your Halloween party
You could theme the Halloween party to be ‘green’ but you’ll probably just end up with people coming as the Hulk, leprechauns or The Riddler. It’s probably a better idea to throw a normal Halloween party and just make sure that everything you provide is sustainable, like:
- Using biodegradable or recyclable cups and glasses
- Ensuring the food you provide is local and organic
- Using LED lights around your home to provide a spooky atmosphere
- Planning sustainable Halloween activities, like locally-grown apple bobbing, or make your own potions using bits and pieces around the garden.
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Eco-friendly Halloween FAQs:
An eco-friendly Halloween is a way to enjoy Halloween while reducing waste and making choices that are kinder to the planet. This could mean reusing costumes and decorations, buying locally grown pumpkins, choosing treats with less packaging and making use of leftover pumpkin flesh and seeds. With a little planning, you can enjoy a sustainable Halloween without missing out on the spooky fun.
There are lots of easy ways to have a more sustainable Halloween. Try buying a second-hand costume or creating one from clothes you already own, making decorations from reusable or recyclable materials, and choosing locally grown pumpkins. You can also reduce food waste by using your pumpkin in recipes and make your Halloween party more eco-friendly by serving local food and using reusable cups and glasses.
These small changes can help you celebrate Halloween while reducing your environmental impact.
To reduce Halloween waste, reuse what you already have, avoid single-use decorations and costumes, and make the most of leftover food. Swap or upcycle fancy dress outfits instead of buying new ones, create decorations from cardboard and other household materials, and choose Halloween treats with less packaging where possible. After carving your pumpkin, use the flesh and seeds in recipes rather than throwing them away.
You can reduce Halloween food waste by using your pumpkin in recipes before it goes off. If it’s fresh and suitable for eating, scoop out the flesh to make pumpkin soup, pie or curry, and roast the seeds for a tasty snack. You could even use the pumpkin to make homemade treats.
If your pumpkin is no longer suitable for eating, chop it into smaller pieces and add it to a suitable home compost bin, or check your local council’s food waste collection guidance. Avoid leaving carved pumpkins out for wildlife, as they can cause digestive problems for some animals.
Making use of your pumpkin or disposing of it responsibly is a simple way to have a more sustainable Halloween.
