Here’s a scary statistic: in 2021, Americans will spend over $10 billion dollars celebrating Halloween, with the majority being spent on costumes, decorations and candy. Even scarier, a lot of these festive finds are made of plastic and end up contributing to more pollution, landfill waste and Earth-warming gases. In fact, one study found that 83% of the materials in Halloween costumes that were surveyed are oil-based plastic—pretty horrifying when you pause to think about it!
But don’t hang up your broomstick just yet. There are many tips and tricks (and treats) you can follow to celebrate Halloween with eco-friendly flare. Now that’s something to scream about!
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1: Purchase real, local pumpkins rather than those made of synthetic materials!
You can decorate, carve and eat real pumpkins—from pumpkin pie to roasted pumpkin seeds. Save uncarved pumpkins for Thanksgiving centerpieces, and when you’re done with them, compost your pumpkin or bring it to a pumpkin drop-off event, if your city hosts one. In Chicago, we recommend the Pumpkin Smash!
2: Skip new, often cheaply made costumes.
Instead, get creative with your own wardrobe. You can also shop at secondhand stores for costumes for adults and kids, or host a costume swap with neighbors or friends. Be sure to pay it forward, too—after Halloween donate your costume to a secondhand store for someone to enjoy next year. Secondhand shopping is naturally eco-friendly. According to research by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, extending the average of life of clothes by just three months per item—from 2 years and 2 months to 2 years and 5 months—can lead to a 5-10% reduction in each garment’s carbon, water and waste footprints.
3: Make DIY decorations.
Use Halloween greeting cards for décor and then hang onto them until next year. Use candles for a dimly lit, spooky atmosphere. If you’re feeling ultra-creative, make homemade ghosts—wrap a white bed sheet over a soccer ball or form a ball with household linens, and then tie off the ghost’s “head” with a shoelace or hair scrunchie.
4: Choose your candy with care!
Opt for sustainably-wrapped candies—candy wrapped with 100% aluminum foil or cardboard boxes are often a good choice because they can be recycled. You can also look for candies made with sustainable palm oil. Our partners at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo make that easy with their 2021 Orangutan-Friendly Guide to Halloween candy.
5: Bring two reusable bags for trick-or-treating!
Use one for candy (of course) and one for picking up trash along the way. And, talk to your friends, family and neighbors along your route about actions you are taking to be green this Halloween. When we take action at the individual level and talk about it with others, it causes others to take action too.
—Heather Barnes, Director of Aquatic Presentations at Shedd Aquarium