Go Green for Halloween!

As the nights are closing in and the temperature drops, that can only mean one thing – whether you know it as Halloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or Samhain, it’s spooky season!

But the scariest thing about Halloween isn’t the ghosts and the witches, it’s the impact on our planet. Throwaway costumes, plastic decorations, and wasted pumpkins galore, it’s not good news for the environment….

So we’ve gathered some top tips for how to celebrate sustainably and enjoy a green Halloween:

• When it comes to costumes - reuse, borrow, make, or buy-second hand. A study by Hello Hubbub found that over 80% of all costumes are made from oil-based plastic and that every year 7 million costumes are thrown away, generating over 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste – those are some scary stats! To avoid adding to the problem, check out the Glos Libraries Costume swaps where you can donate unwanted costumes up until the 15th of October and between 15th October and 3rd November you can go and swap an old costume for a new one. You can also try raiding the local charity shops, online platforms like Vinted, or even your own wardrobe to see what you can repurpose!
  

  

  
  

• 18,000 tonnes of pumpkins are thrown away every year, but pumpkins aren’t just decorations, they are also delicious! When you’re carving your jack o’lantern this year, make the most of it – you can use the flesh for curries, soups, and more and you can even eat the seeds, or why not keep them and plant them to grow your own pumpkin for next year? The Royal Horticultural Society website has some great advice. If you don’t fancy eating the pumpkin yourself, dice it up and put it outside for wildlife – just be careful to elevate it on a bird table or similar, because it can cause health problems for hedgehogs. And don’t forget to compost what’s left at the end.

  
  

• Try making your own decorations instead of buying plastic ones (empty glass jars become candle holders, tissues become ghosts, and toilet rolls become floating candles!) and keep them to reuse year after year. You can find loads of inspiration online – check out these amazing paper crafts from RedTedArt (origami bat anyone?!), or get creative with reuse like Green Citizen (an empty jam jar can become a spooky mummy with a bit of imagination!). And, whatever you do, avoid putting up fake cobwebs as these can trap wildlife. Try using natural materials like autumn leaves to decorate instead.
  

  

  
  

• Chocolate and sweets are an unavoidable (and yummy!) part of Halloween celebrations, but between unethical supply chains and lots of plastic waste, they can end up being more of a trick than a treat. Look out for ethical and eco-friendly options such as Handy Candy or Tony’s Chocolonely, or even better how about having a go at making your own? The Little Blog of Vegan has loads of delicious vegan bakes and treat recipes – everything from pumpkin cookies to skeleton pop tarts!

  
  

Most of all, remember festivals like Halloween aren’t about ‘stuff’, they’re about celebrating! Challenge yourself to throw a great party without buying anything new, we bet you’ll find that apple bobbing and marshmallow roasting are just as much fun!