THE GREEN HALLOWEEN GUIDE

Halloween doesn’t have to be all plastic pumpkins and cheap polyester costumes. It’s the perfect time to gather the whole family together and get creative – and you can do this while being kinder to the planet. So why not turn this spooky season into some planet-friendly fun? Here are a few simple ways to enjoy a ghoulishly greener Halloween.

Get Creative with Your Outfits

We throw away around 7 million Halloween costumes every year in the UK, and most of them are made of polyester – in other words, plastic! Most can’t be recycled, so they end up in landfills, where they sit for decades and release microplastics along the way.

Instead of rushing out to buy a new costume, have a rummage through your wardrobe and get creative! An old sheet can become a ghost, black leggings and a striped T-shirt make a perfect bank robber, or pair black leggings with a plain T-shirt for a cat or bat. A cardboard cereal box can even be turned into a shield or superhero mask. Charity shops are treasure troves for costumes, or you can swap outfits with friends and neighbours to save both money and waste.

If you love crafts – use paper to cut out bats or make a homemade witch hat. Tinfoil crowns and cat tails made from old tights can all be created in an afternoon. Add some eco-friendly face paint for a zombie or clown look, and you’ve got a costume that’s kinder to the planet and completely unique!

Pumpkins

Is it really Halloween without a pumpkin? Try ditching the plastic ones and opting for the real thing. Not only do they look and smell wonderful, but you can eat the parts you don’t use for carving! For an extra sustainability step, look out for the Soil Association logo to ensure your pumpkin is certified organic – meaning no harmful chemicals or pesticides were used to grow it.

Once you’ve scooped out the insides, you can roast the seeds with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of cinnamon for a crunchy snack, or make a simple pumpkin soup by cooking the flesh with onion, garlic, a splash of stock, and a swirl of cream.

When Halloween is over and your pumpkin’s time is up, pop it in the compost – just make sure you remove the candle first!

Homemade Halloween Decorations

You don’t need plastic decorations to make your home spooky. Cut out witches, bats, or cats from black paper and tape them to your windows – they look magical when backlit. For ghosts, drape old white cotton sheets over trees or brooms and stick on paper eyes.

Instead of fake cobwebs, which can harm birds and hedgehogs, try making spider webs from wool or yarn. Stretch the strands across a doorway or window in a web shape, and maybe add a paper spider or two. You can reuse everything next year, which means making decorations is both fun and eco-friendly.

For extra green points, hand out treats in paper bags or reusable containers, and choose sweets with recyclable packaging. If you’re hosting a party, skip the plastic cups and plates – you can buy compostable ones from most supermarkets or use what you have and simply load the dishwasher (or wash up) after the fun is over!

With a little creativity, Halloween can be full of spooky surprises and more sustainable. After all, you probably won’t remember the decorations you throw away, but you will remember the fun you had making them!