Spooky Never Looked so Sustainable! Sustainable Ways to Celebrate Halloween!

Halloween is coming up and with celebrating it lots of fun activities too. But enjoying festivities doesn't mean to harm the planet. In the United States alone, the total carbon footprint of the holiday releases a staggering 4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. This environmental impact is primarily driven by single-use plastics, massive food waste, and fast-fashion manufacturing. That’s why I have put together a list of actions we can do to celebrate in a more eco-friendly way!

Thrift your costumes.

Thrift stores are spaces where clothing of countless textures, eras, and styles coexist. They are the perfect setting to hunt for various pieces and little by little see each garment, silhouette and colors while you think about your favorite movies, your favorite artists or series unique to you, and improvise a fun and personal costume—or even to pick up a pre-assembled, second-hand one. In my opinion, there is simply no better place to find a truly matchless costume, than at a thrift store. Where unique pieces, affordable prices and sustainable shopping coexist.

Reduce your plastic consumption!

Every year, stores fill up with thousands of seasonal decorations made largely of plastic. In total, more than 2,000 tons of plastic waste are generated each Halloween from costumes and decorations—an amount equivalent to over 83 million plastic bottles. So, here are some examples of small items you can start replacing.

• Replace fake plastic pumpkins for real ones! There are many fun activities you can do around real pumpkins, like decorating them by cuts or paint. You get to spend a fun time with your loved ones while creating not just a special moment but a super personalized decoration! That's plus compostable. 

• Make your Halloween parties a little less "spooky" for the environment! Replace disposables with biodegradable ones, real cutlery or glasses.

• Craft your decorations, not just real pumpkins but you can do plenty of things with recycled paper and cardboard, like paper pumpkins, spooky banners, skeletons, spiders, and more! Changing consumerism for creation and spending a nice moment with yourself or with your loved ones.

Embrace reuse in every aspect! 

Invest in sustainable decorations that you can use year after year—the same goes for your costumes! By investing in more quality costumes and storing them properly, you can swap or share them with friends and family.

Organize community clean ups with your neighbors.

Neighborhoods experience a dramatic increase in the accumulation of visible trash and waste after Halloween, due to large crowds in the streets and the consumption of disposable products—with wrappers making up the bulk of the litter. Environmental estimates indicate that a single child generates, on average, nearly half a kilogram of trash during this holiday. That is why, as a community, we can come together to lend a hand to those who clean our streets—by collecting this waste and taking it to your nearest recycling center!

Walk instead of driving.

Promote walking trick or treat routes to reduce emissions, It can actually be more fun, you get to spend more time with your loved ones, and enjoy some fresh air by doing halloween the classic way!

Trick or treat in a more sustainable way!

Ditch your plastic bags or pumpkins for collecting  candy with more eco-friendly ones like reusable cloth tote bags, plus it doesn't need to be boring! You can customize them with some paint or clothing patches.

Finally, as I mentioned, celebrating Halloween doesn’t have to be "spooky" for the environment—nor do you have to skip the celebrations to avoid causing pollution. You can always find a balance: enjoy the holiday with your loved ones while taking small, collective actions to drive positive change. Happy Halloween!