Make your Halloween more GREEN!
Americans are expected to spend roughly $13 BILLION on Halloween this year - in equal amounts on costumes, decorations, and candy! That's $114 per person! Make your dollars count by following these tips from Go Green Glen Ellyn on how to save money and celebrate more sustainably.
D-I-Y or 2nd hand costumes. Each year Americans spend almost 4 BILLION dollars on Halloween costumes. Save money by borrowing from a friend or check out local Facebook groups for gently used costumes. Or earn creativity points by making your own! Some of our favorite materials for DIY include duct tape and aluminum foil! Shop your closet for outfit ideas or check out a thrift shop.
Zero Waste Pumpkin Avoid painting or glitter-izing your pumpkins so you can safely compost them later. Also, please do NOT use bleach, WD-40, hairspray or other chemicals on your outside pumpkins and gourds in an effort to keep critters away. We are the ones putting out sources of food outdoors for them. It will poison them. DIY a squirrel-away spray with a mixture of water and hot sauce in a spray bottle. Once Halloween ends, you don't need magic to give your jack-o-lantern a second life - just compost it! Bring it to a local pumpkin smash for composting. You can event compost it right in your backyard for squirrels and birds to have as a fall snack - if they haven’t gotten to it already.
Reusable or natural decorations - Avoid the fake cottony cobwebs on bushes that need to be thrown out - those also pose a danger for wildlife! Think "All Fall" and shop for natural decor such as leaves, gourds, and hay that are good all season. If your Halloween lights go dark, save them for holiday light recycling that pops up in December.
Candy without palm oil or sustainably sourced - Palm oil is a sustainable nightmare that results in heavy deforestation. Unfortunately, it is an ingredient widely used in candy as well as a number of pre-packaged foods and cosmetics. There is a movement pushing for responsibly sourced palm oil and a group called the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RPSO) that certifies products and companies that commit to sourcing palm oil responsibly. This is a complex topic that we need to dig into more! For now, you can check out this updated for 2025 PDF guide of Halloween treats.
Plastic free treats - Avoid plastic like the Wolfman on a full moon! If you are looking for alternatives to candy, try pencils, stickers, mini coloring books, whatever you can find! For Halloween gatherings, you can be the (g)hostess with the mostest by having reusable or compostable party ware. Ask guests to bring a reusable mug for drinks and have extras available. Set aside a small compost bin for unwanted food and treats. Wrap homemade treats in aluminum foil or beeswax wrap.
If you follow these sustainable Halloween ideas, our planet’s future is bound to look a little less scary!
