America is possessed by the Halloween spirit. And the proof is in the purchasing: According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to shell out $13.1 billion on candy, costumes, decorations, and other Halloween-related goods in 2025—nearly a billion dollars more than in 2023. That surge shows just how much we love spooky season and also reflects a growing, year-over-year hunger for consumption. And where there’s consumption, there’s waste. Lots of it.
Among the many culprits are hard-to-recycle candy wrappers, synthetic costumes, and plastic decor. One UK study estimated that Halloween generates around 2,000 tons of plastic waste from costumes alone—which is equivalent to around 83 million water bottles. Meanwhile, the U.S. tosses literal tons of pumpkin, with some estimates in the billions of pounds. In general, Halloween can be a very one-and-done-use event: Decorations are often intended for a single use, and candy wrappers go right in the trash.
But here’s the good news: You don’t have to cancel the fun to reduce the impact. With a few smart swaps and some creative thinking, it’s easy to celebrate the season in a way that’s festive, affordable, and less frightening for the planet. Here are some simple ways to do just that.
- Be a “full-bar” household. That is, hand out true 6-incher candy bars instead of fistfuls of minis. A 2018 study comparing various types of popular chocolates found that “fun size” candies are not all that fun for the planet: All that extra packaging gives those tiny treats a higher environmental toll.
- Or at least pick candy with better packaging. Go for sweets packed in cardboard boxes instead of plastic wrappers—just be sure to rip out any plastic inserts. Besides, Nerds, Junior Mints, and Whoppers are top-tier anyway.
- Skip the plastic pumpkin carving tools. Use what you already have in your kitchen or workshop. Bonus: they’re way less likely to snap halfway through carving eye No. 2.
- Use your pumpkin from top to bottom. Gourds are food, and we toss around 1 billion pounds of pumpkin in the post-Halloween trash every year. Roast those seeds. Use them—and the spooned-out flesh and pulp—to make this very tasty low-waste pumpkin soup. Then, compost the rind and any other bits that remain.
- Want to make sure you get more than jack out o’ that lantern? Prevent your just-carved pumpkin from rotting overnight by rubbing the carved edges down with some coconut oil.
- Thrift your costumes. Chances are, you’ll find something great. Plus, a lot of Halloween get-ups are made from synthetic, non-recyclable materials like polyester, nylon, and PVC. A 2019 U.K. study found that 83% of the material in costumes in popular store-bought costumes was oil-based plastic, and likely headed for a scary afterlife in the landfill.
- You could also just focus on accessories. The right bit flair can make an outfit. A lot of accoutrements can adapt into a range of getups in the future; a nice pair of wings could help sell an angel, butterfly, or bird.
- Or host a costume swap. Invite a few friends and neighbors over to trade old costumes and/or revive those that need a little bit of love. Make a night of it. Here’s a quick guide to get you started.
- Procrastinated? DIY it. The recycling bin and linen closet can be your costume BFFs. Bedsheet ghosts are still iconic (and as easy as you’d think), cardboard boxes can turn into anything from Spongebob to robots and Lego bricks.
- Ditch plastic masks. Instead, use facepaint to create the costumed look. There are thousands of instructional videos on Youtube that show you how.
- Pillowcase > plastic candy bucket. It’s reusable, holds way more goodies, and won’t snap mid-trick-or-treat and leave a trail of hard-earned hard candy on the sidewalk
- DIY your devilish decor. Scrap wood and a little paint? Gravestones. Cardboard tubes? The legs of a giant spider emerging from the ground. Stuff old clothes with leaves or newspaper to form a headless torso. You get the idea.
- Don’t fall for the cheap plastic stuff. Autumn furnishings have been on store shelves since August, but resist temptation: You maaaaaaaaaaybe don’t need a new inflatable Oogie Boogie Man or more plastic bats for the entryway table.
- At the very least, opt for paper decor made that’s made from recycled materials—and is recyclable itself. Word to the wise: Anything with a ton of glitter or sheen probably has plastic in it, so can’t go into the blue bin.
- Glowsticks are a blast. So are spray cans of silly string. But the neon cracklers are single-use, have questionable innards, and can’t be recycled. And the worm-like strands of string are plastic. The aerosol cans are also difficult to recycle. It’s a lot of waste for a little bit of fun.
- Skip the fake spiderwebs. Turns out, they’re pretty good at catching birds, rodents, and other creatures. They’re also a microplastic-shedding nightmare. Worse? The netting is quite flammable. You can get the same effect with some cotton gauze, cheesecloth, yarn, or torn salvaged fabric.
- Same goes for the glitter. Anything glinting with the shimmery stuff is basically a microplastic super-spreader.
- Donate old costumes or decor you don’t use.
- Got a menacing animatronic menagerie haunting your yard? Put those wandering spirits on a timer. These decorations continue to draw power even when idle. Set up a smart plug or old-school outlet timer to stop the energy waste.
- Borrow big items instead of buying them. Need a fog machine, giant Frankenstein, or sound-maker for one night? Check on neighborhood listings or no-buy groups. Your local library might have what you’re looking for, too.
- Throwing a Halloween party? Send invites digitally. No wasted paper and, honestly, animation can make them a lot more fun.
- Try to avoid the plastic spoons and paper plates and opt for compostable or, better yet, the reusable kind. Throwaway plates lead to more food waste, too.
- Don’t let all those witch finger sandwiches or vampire toothed cupcakes suffer a death by decay. By that we mean, obey the two-hour rule for food safety and store leftovers properly, so no holiday treats or party snacks go to waste.
- Save your costumes and scraps. Box up this year’s wigs, monster feet, and mummy wrap. Likewise for any fabric scraps that might be leftover from any last-minute costume-making.
- Conduct a post-holiday thrift-store search. You know how the day after Valentine’s Day is prime time to score half-priced chocolates? Well, the week or so after Halloween is a great time to nab some barely-used costumes, donated decorations, and save some seasonal goods on their way to the afterlife.