I love a bit of Halloween fun – fancy dress? Any day, any excuse!

But there’s one MAJOR issue I have with Halloween – it's the crazy amount of waste created for this one day.

Supermarket aisles are already full of cr*p we don’t need, shipped in from China (the Carbon Footprint is scary enough).

There are ways to enjoy Halloween without the orange tat – and I promise you’ll feel good for not getting sucked into the relentless marketing. If people stop buying it, they’ll stop making it. Vote with your money.

Here are 10 ways we choose to do a waste-free Halloween that’s still full of spooky spirit:

1. DIY costumes from what you already own

An estimated 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste are created each year from throwaway Halloween outfits in the UK alone (Hubbub, 2019) – that’s roughly 83 million plastic bottles.

Instead, raid your wardrobe or a friend’s, or hit the charity shops. I love getting creative with this. Pinterest is your friend here.

2. Decorate with nature

No plastic pumpkins and fake cobwebs here. Instead, we bring the outdoors in – autumn leaves, branches, pumpkins, and candles in jam jars create a beautiful, spooky atmosphere that’s 100% compostable afterwards.

3. Reuse a trick-or-treat bag

We ditch the plastic bucket and grab a tote bag, pillowcase, or basket we already own – they hold more sweets and last for years.

4. Buy local pumpkins

If we’re carving pumpkins, we buy from a local farm or greengrocer. Fewer food miles, fresher produce, and we’re supporting local growers instead of big chains.

5. Use every bit of your pumpkin

We’ll roast the seeds for snacks, make soup or curry with the flesh, and compost what’s left. With 18,000 tonnes of pumpkins thrown away in the UK each year, every little bit helps.

6. Say no to more plastic

Unless you already own it, skip the plastic buckets, disposable tableware, and cheap decorations. They look fun for five minutes and then last a lifetime (in landfill).

7. Shop second-hand first

I love a good treasure hunt - much of the seasonal stock that ends up in charity shops is practically new – so we often check there before buying anything new. Plus it helps a good cause too.

8. Bake your own Halloween treats

I don’t want to add to your mental load, but homemade cupcakes, cookies, or popcorn are always a hit – and completely packaging-free. If you make them with friends or kids, it becomes part of the celebration itself.

9. Light it up mindfully

We skip disposable LED tealights and glow sticks (most end up in landfill). Use candles in glass jars or rechargeable LED candles – a small switch that saves energy and waste.

10. Skip the plastic glitter and toxic makeup

Most glitter = microplastics. They wash into rivers and oceans, where they harm marine life. Instead, choose biodegradable glitter, use what’s already in your makeup bag, or get creative with natural pigments like cocoa or charcoal.

And finally – it’s important to talk about it.

Behavioural research shows people are far more likely to make sustainable choices when they see their friends doing it. So share your creative costumes, your DIY décor, your zero-waste swaps – that’s the kind of influence we actually need more of.

No Judgement here.

Again, we're never here to judge, we all can't be perfect all the time, and judging each other is never the right motivation towards change. I just want to share some ideas and small ways we can all make improvements in our own lives.