Haunt Responsibly: How to Have an Eco-Friendly Halloween
Halloween is a time for creativity, costumes, and candy—but it can also be a surprisingly wasteful holiday. From single-use decorations to plastic packaging and fast-fashion costumes, the spooky season often leaves behind an environmental nightmare. This year, you can keep the fun (and the frights) while cutting down on waste. With a bit of imagination and a few eco-friendly swaps, it’s easier than ever to celebrate Halloween sustainably—without losing any of the magic.
How to Celebrate and Still Be Festive Sustainably:
Compost Your Pumpkins
Composting turns your old pumpkins and gourds into nutrient-rich soil for gardens and helps the planet long after the holiday.
DIY Decorations and Use What You Already Have
Repurpose old Halloween decorations into something that fits your aesthetic better, or turn other non-Halloween decorations you don’t use anymore into something spooky and festive.
When looking for pumpkins to use as decorations or to carve, try buying locally grown pumpkins. This helps support local businesses and farmers; most likely, the pumpkins at big chain stores are shipped from far away.
When carving pumpkins, reduce waste by preparing recipes using the insides. This could include something like pumpkin pie or roasted pumpkin seeds.
Making Your Treats Eco-Friendly
Try buying eco-friendly candy, meaning candy with minimal or recyclable packaging. If this is out of your budget, try making your own treats.
Bake simple and fun Halloween treats, such as cookies shaped like ghosts or pumpkins, or cake pops, which are easy and popular fan favorites.
Sustainable Trick-or-Treating:
Reusable Bags
Repurpose a tote bag or bucket for trick-or-treating. Try giving it a new life with some extra Halloween decorations you have lying around.
Costume Swap With Friends
Make a fun party out of this, gather some costumes you don’t like anymore or that don’t fit, and some of your closest friends to try on costumes.
Thrift What You Can
Shop at thrift stores, consignment stores, or yard sales instead of buying a costume from a retail store.
Keep Old Clothes
Keeping old clothes that may have holes or stains can be a good part of a costume.
Use What You Already Have in Your Closet
Not only is it wasteful to buy a new costume every year, but it's also not budget-friendly. You likely have the basic pieces for a costume in your closet.
Costumes With Clothes You Have in Your Closet:
Barbie
The perfect last-minute, cute, low-effort costume, plus who didn’t buy something pink when the Barbie movie took over a couple of years ago?
What you need:
You basically can use anything pink in your closet.
A pink mini dress or skirt, pink heels or any color heels you have, pink sunglasses (optional), and some fun pink jewelry or similar costume jewelry in any color works perfectly.
Britney Spears
There are a lot of iconic Britney looks you can recreate, but my personal favorite and the easiest to recreate is the Baby One More Time music video.
This is basically a schoolgirl costume also!
What you need:
A white dress shirt tied up, a pleated skirt, a grey cardigan, any kind of tall socks or stockings, and black heels or Mary Janes.
Tennis Player/Country Club
Did you also fall victim to the tennis skirt trend a few years ago? Well, it’s time to dust it off for this simple, comfy, and cute costume.
What you need:
Tennis skirt, an athletic-looking top or collared shirt/polo, a cardigan to tie on your shoulders, a visor, and tennis shoes.
Kim Possible
Kim Possible is maybe the easiest Disney costume you can do, and it’s easy to recognize, too!
What you need:
Black crop top, long sleeve or short sleeve, green cargo pants (or any color if you don’t have green), and black boots complete this simple costume.
Witch
As someone who was a witch for most of my childhood, it’s hard not just to want to dress up as a witch; it’s part of my destiny at this point.
What you need:
This costume gives you total creative freedom (use anything black or dark colored in your closet).
A black dress, black tights, black boots, a witch hat, and even a broom if you have one make the perfect low effort costume.
Holly Golightly (from Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
One of my favorite Audrey Hepburn looks is very recognizable, even if people aren’t familiar with the film.
What you need:
Use your favorite little black dress as the central part, get some pearls or other costume-like jewelry (this is also easy to thrift at a low price), black heels, black gloves, and a tiara to make up this iconic costume.
Sustainability doesn’t have to dampen your Halloween spirit—it can actually make the holiday more meaningful. By choosing reusable decorations, DIY costumes, and eco-conscious treats, you’re not only reducing waste but also setting a positive example for others. Every small change helps make a big difference, ensuring that the only thing scary about Halloween is the costumes—not its impact on the planet. So go ahead, get creative, have fun, and make this year’s celebration both spooky and sustainable!
