Halloween is usually flooded with plastic-wrapped candies, wasteful costumes, plastic decorations, and more. This year, enjoy a hauntingly good Halloween—and ditch the plastic. From zero-waste costumes and decorations to plastic-free food options, we have compiled a list of our favorite tricks (and treats!) for a sustainable, eco-friendly Halloween.
DIY Your Costume
The best approach to a plastic-free costume—whether it’s scary, cutesy, iconic, or clever, is to make it yourself. Use what clothing or accessories you already have, thrift or buy second-hand materials that you can reuse after Halloween, and bedazzle your personalized costume at home. Whether hippie, witch, ghost, or pirate, all it takes is a little creativity and you could have a unique costume that will stand out—better for you, and better for the planet. Some great thrift options to inspire you can be found here.
Create Spooky Decor with Spider Webs or Thrift Shop Art
If you have spiders creating webs around or outside your house, preserve them for some truly natural Halloween decor. And don’t worry, spiders make new webs every day!
Instructions:
1. Hunt for webs in the afternoon outside your home, in the garden, or around a local park.
2. Make sure the spider is not in/near the web by tapping gently on a leader line.
3. Hold cardboard behind the spider web and carefully spray it with hairspray.
a) You can gently blow powder to coat the web lightly for a more distinct design.
b) You can also enhance the color and contrast of your artwork with spray paint.
4. Spray construction paper with hairspray or spray glue.
5. Before it dries, quickly and gently sweep the paper into the web from behind.
6. Remove web leader lines by hand (vs. pulling the web away with the paper).
7. To preserve your natural art indefinitely, create a protective shield with clear varnish.
8. Enjoy your new spooky decor!
Another fun option for spooky decor is to head to your local donation or thrift shop and find a piece of art (preferably a painting) that could use some spooky additions. Paint directly onto the piece, adding pumpkins, ghosts, ghouls, and more throughout what could be a beautiful landscape or portrait. Minimal art skill is required as you can rely on the original artist’s creation while adding your own flare. You can do this for every season and have a rotation of one-of-a-kind decorations.
Throw a Festive Halloween Party with Some Freaky Food + Drinks
Want to host a Halloween bash but find yourself surrounded by options like plastic cups and throwaway utensils and plates? Thankfully, there are solid alternatives to single-use plastic on the market. You can host a killer party with everything your guests need while doing it sustainably.
Swap out those plastic single-use cups with several options; Klean Kanteen and Pirani offer reusable cup alternatives, as well as Steely’s if you need a bulk order. You can also use your own glass or ceramic cups and skip buying altogether. Instead of choosing thin plastic plates that’ll be thrown away at the end of your party, Ahimsa makes reusable plates with dividers, ideal for guest trays that can be used for parties all year round. Biodegradable bamboo utensils can be a great option to replace plastic forks and knives.
A Halloween-themed charcuterie board with plastic-free tongs, plates, and forks nearby is great. Then guests can help themselves as it gets refilled throughout the night. You can create freaky platters full of fun imagery made from seasonal vegetables, fruits, and breads—limited only by your imagination. Check out Ghoul at Heart, full of Ghoulish recipes.
Also check out this IG post for a delicious board of appetizers for inspiration. It’s fun to pair a charcuterie board and appetizers with a witch’s brew cocktail in a cast iron cauldron, topped off with dry ice for a spooky effect.
Host a Halloween Movie Night + Bob for Apples
Throw it back to the Hallows Eve and autumn parties of yore. Watch a classic Halloween movie, like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” and bob for apples.
Never bobbed for apples? Here’s how:
- 1. Fill a tub or bin over halfway with slightly cold water.
- 2. Add about a dozen fresh apples, depending on the size of your bin. You want apples to fill the entire space and make it a challenge to bob.
- 3. Set a time limit of two minutes for each player.
- 4. Players will have a chance to bite into an apple (or several) during the time limit, with their hands held behind their back.
- 5. The person who successfully retrieves the most apples wins the game!
- 6. As a bonus, you can give a special plastic-free Halloween prize to the winner.
If you want to take your snacking to the next level, you can provide wooden skewers and an (easy) homemade caramel dip to pair with the apples. You can also pop some popcorn and top it with spices or butter—just like in the theaters, but cozier.
If you live where temperatures are mild and you have a projector, you can make your own Halloween magic outdoors and host a scary movie screening with friends or family. Turn your garage door or backyard fence into a homemade projector screen by pinning up a draped cloth or bedsheet, and provide seating (sitting pillows and blankets will also work). If you don’t have enough chairs or pillows, ask your guests to bring their own. You can even host a late-night double feature!
Carve or Paint Pumpkins
What’s more classic than a Halloween jack-o-lantern or two to light up your porch? Let your creativity flow while being environmentally conscious, and carve (or paint!) some pumpkins. If carving, simply choose a fresh pumpkin, scoop out the insides, and use natural tools like a serrated knife or even small saws designed for pumpkin carving to create your own designs or jack-o-lantern faces. Wait until just a few days before Halloween so your pumpkin stays fresh and doesn’t rot.
Painting pumpkins can be the way to go for those who prefer a less messy approach. Using non-toxic, water-based paints, you can decorate pumpkins with intricate designs or simple patterns, avoiding the need for harsh chemicals.
Whether you choose to carve or paint your pumpkins, don’t throw out those seeds after you’ve scooped everything out because they’re delicious roasted—and rich in protein. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide for how to roast your own seeds. And you can compost your pumpkin remnants after the festivities.
Hand Out Plastic-Free Treats to Trick-or-Treaters
If you live in a place frequented by trick-or-treaters on Halloween night, you’ve probably faced the dilemma of what to hand out to kids instead of individually plastic-wrapped candy. Our staff shared some of our favorite alternatives to give out that are just as good (if not better!) than those plastic bags of candy.
- Chocolates wrapped in foil and paper
- Mini pumpkins
- Clementines, which can be made to look like mini pumpkins
- Packets of milkweed seeds to create a habitat that supports butterflies
- Apples in different varieties
- Marbles, cool rocks, and shells
- Loose change and dollar bills
- Paper bookmarks. You can even make these yourself with cardstock and ribbon
- Home-baked goods like creepy finger sugar cookies, wrapped in parchment paper and twisted on the ends
- Mini sugar cookies, preferably with a ghost or pumpkin on them
- Mini tarot cards printed on card stock. Let kids pick three to tell their fortune
Whether you’re celebrating at home, hosting a gathering, going out, or giving out candy to trick-or-treaters, there’s a way to make the festivities plastic-free. Overall, use and make real stuff—non-toxic, plastic-free solutions exist. And sign the pledge to say no to single-use plastic.
