Halloween is a spooktacular time of the year filled with family, friends, food and fun! Did you know that you can have just as much fun, and maybe even more fun, while also creating less waste? 

 Countless is the number of nature-friendly holiday activities that can be incorporated into your Halloween game plan. With a little creativity and resourcefulness, you and your family can enjoy the festivities while being kinder to the planet. Here are some easy, fun, and eek-o-friendly ideas to celebrate Halloween.

It’s All About the Pumpkins, Right?

Pumpkins are the traditional foundation of all Halloween events, bringing the spirit of Halloween to life in more ways than one!

Reuseable and recyclable decorations in West Dundee

Visiting a pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins is a great way to spend time with ­your friends and family and support your local farms. Many offer a variety of non-polluting activities.

Growing your own pumpkins is an easy way to get kids involved in gardening, and it saves money too. Kids love to plant seeds and watch them grow, and homegrown pumpkins add a special touch to your Halloween festivities. Collect seeds this year for next year’s pumpkin patch.

From glowing jack-o’-lanterns that light up porches to festive centerpieces at fall parties, pumpkins set the perfect autumn mood. But what do you do when Halloween is over? Don’t let your pumpkin go to waste! It’s scary when pumpkins end up in landfills because they hold water and can create methane gas. Rather than throwing them away, you can:

Compost! Some cities offer compost pick up alongside their weekly trash collection, such as the City of McHenry, ILand the City of Racine, WI. Pumpkins, mums, hay bales and corn stalks are acceptable yard waste items. Check with your garbage collector to see if they have a pumpkin pick-up program.

You can compost your pumpkin at home or bury it in your garden. It will naturally break down into the soil, and with a little help from mother nature, you might get some pumpkin plants sprouting next year!

If composting at your home isn’t an option, many cities and counties offer composting programs, where organic waste like pumpkins is broken down and turned into rich soil. 

SMASH! Some communities offer programs to drop off, or SMASH, pumpkins or gourds. The city of Elgin’s annual event Pumpkin SMASH grows more popular every year. Check scarce.org for a SMASHing pumpkin drop-off location near you.

Eat! Pumpkins aren’t just for decoration—they’re delicious and nutritious, packed with vitamin A, potassium, and other nutrients. Roast the seeds for a crunchy snack or turn the flesh into puree to make pumpkin bread, soup, muffins, or pies. You can also make scrumptious treats for your pet.

Feed! Even if you don’t want to eat your pumpkin, wildlife will appreciate the treat! Place your pumpkin outside in your yard for animals like deer and squirrels to enjoy. Just remember to cut it into smaller pieces and don’t add seasoning or salt. For a fun twist, fill your pumpkin with birdseed and hang it from a tree as an edible bird feeder. 

Don’t throw your pumpkins into the woods!

According to Homestead and Chill, “while it may seem like a good idea to toss old pumpkins into wild spaces to decompose, it can actually do more harm than good. Wildlife typically doesn’t need help finding food, and overfeeding certain animals can make them sick. Additionally, leftover candles, paint, or wax from Halloween pumpkins can harm animals, and the communal eating may spread disease.” 

More Eek-O-Friendly Tips

DIY Trick-or-Treat Bags

Get crafty with your kids by decorating reusable trick-or-treat bags. Not only are they fun to personalize, but they help reduce the need for single-use plastic bags. Plus, they can be used year after year!

Eek-O-Friendly Candy Choices

Certain classic candies like Dots, Nerds, and Junior Mints are still packaged in recyclable mini cardboard boxes, making them an excellent eek-o-friendly choice. These treats let you hand out candy without adding to plastic waste. Instruct visiting trick or treaters to recycle the boxes.

Keep It Clean

As your little goblins and ghouls collect their treats, remind them to avoid littering. Candy wrappers often end up on the ground, which harms wildlife (explain, otherwise it’s too much of a stretch) and contributes to pollution. Encourage kids to be mindful of their surroundings while trick-or-treating.

Eek-O-Friendly Costumes

Try not to buy anything new. Encourage your kids to get creative by using old clothes or items around the house. A worn t-shirt, black pants, or an old hat can become the perfect base for a homemade costume. Thrift shops, consignment stores, and yard sales are treasure troves for costume materials. Let your kids’ imaginations’ soar as they mix and match pieces to create unique outfits. There are tons of websites to find fun options.

Natural Makeup

Opt for nontoxic, eek-o-friendly makeup for your costumes. Many traditional Halloween face paints contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment, but there are great natural alternatives available that will still give you that spooky glow.

DIY Decorations

When it comes to decorating, think outside the (cardboard) box! In fact, old boxes can be transformed into gravestones or spooky signs. Reuse decorations from past years and get creative by making new ones from items you already have. Netting from bags of oranges can become spider webs, and cotton balls, leaves, and branches can turn into ghostly or eerie yard displays.

By incorporating these ideas, your family can enjoy a fun, imaginative, and eco-conscious Halloween. You’ll not only create lasting memories but also help protect the environment for future trick-or-treaters. Happy haunting!