How to Throw an Eek-o-Friendly Halloween Bash

5 mins

The waste generated by Halloween can be downright terrifying for our planet—but don’t fear! Try these easy eco-tricks to make your celebration more sustainable

Halloween is creeping up, and while it’s a fun time, it’s also a time when waste can pile up faster than a haunted house on a full moon. But fear not! With a few tricks and a little creativity, you can host a spook-tacular eco-friendly Halloween party that won’t scare off Mother Nature.

Here’s how to make your celebration green, with all the frightful fun and none of the waste.

Re-vamp Your Decorations: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Forget single-use decorations that end up in the bin – it’s time to get crafty with upcycled decor. Instead of buying plastic pumpkins and synthetic spider webs, dig into what you already have:

Jar-o’-lanterns: Give your old glass jars new life by turning them into spooky candle holders. Paint jack-o’-lantern faces, fill them with LED tealights, and line them along your windowsill for a ghostly glow.

Cardboard Tombstones: Raid the recycling bin for some cardboard boxes and transform them into DIY gravestones. A bit of grey paint and some pun-filled inscriptions like ‘Here Lies My Single-Use Plastics‘ will bring a fun touch to your garden.

Ghosts from the Past: Repurpose old white sheets into floating ghosts. Just drape them over balloons or a ball, add a spooky face, and hang them around the house.

halloween jack'o lanterns

Costumes: Don’t Be a Fashion Fright

Costumes are one of the biggest sources of Halloween waste, but there’s no need to add to that. Get creative with what’s already in your closet or check out thrift stores:

Frankenthreads: Stitch together an outfit from clothing you already own or second-hand finds. Think of it as creating your own monstrous mash-up.

Mummy Dearest: Instead of store-bought costumes, why not DIY a mummy with old, torn-up bedsheets or bandages? It’s creepy, classic, and re-useable for future years.

Witch, Please: Got a black dress, hat, or cape lying around? You’re halfway to being a witch! Add some thrifted accessories, and you’ve conjured up a stylish, zero-waste costume.

halloween costume

Monster Mash-Ins: Spooky Snacks with a Conscience

Halloween treats don’t have to come with a scary amount of packaging. Treat your guests to homemade goodies and reduce the mountain of plastic wrappers:

Ghost Bananas & Pumpkin Clementines: Transform bananas into cute ghost faces with a few chocolate chip eyes, and peel clementines into mini pumpkins by sticking a small piece of celery on top. They’re frightfully healthy and compostable, too.

Witch’s Brew Punch: Serve your drinks in big cauldrons (or just a large punch bowl) instead of single-use cans and bottles. Garnish with fruit ‘eyeballs’ (lychees stuffed with blueberries) for a ghoulish twist.

Creepy Cupcake Creatures: Bake cupcakes at home and decorate them with homemade or paper-based toppers. Think monster mouths or spiderwebs. You can even host a cupcake decorating contest for some eerie entertainment.

Halloween cupcakes

Frightful Fun Without the Waste: Eco-friendly Party Activities

Keep your little goblins and ghouls entertained without creating a frightful amount of waste:

Pumpkin Bowling: Instead of plastic bowling sets, use real pumpkins as bowling balls and set up recyclable tin cans as pins.

Apple Bobbing… or Floating: Opt for the classic, water-based apple bobbing game with a twist: use apples that guests can snack on afterward, eliminating any waste.

Haunted Scavenger Hunt: Send the kids on a scavenger hunt to find natural treasures like leaves, or rocks. It’s the perfect way to get them outside and engaged with nature, all while embracing the spooky spirit.

Pumpkin bowling

Eerie-sistible Eco-Goodie Bags

Ditch the plastic goodie bags and go for something more earth-friendly:

Trick-or-Treat Totes: Use reusable fabric bags, or even decorate old pillowcases with Halloween designs for a unique and reusable trick-or-treat bag.

DIY Bath Bombs: Make your own ‘witch’s cauldrons’ in the form of DIY bath bombs. Add a touch of green food coloring and lavender oil, and you’ve got a delightful take-home treat.

Seed Packets: Give your guests a little gift that keeps on giving—packets of seeds wrapped in recycled paper with a note that says, ‘Plant a little magic!‘ It’s a perfect way to encourage a greener Halloween spirit.

Lighting the Night: Ghoulishly Green Glow

Set the mood with eco-friendly lighting that keeps things eerie and energy-efficient:

Solar-Powered Lanterns: If you’re hosting an outdoor party, use solar-powered lanterns to light up your space without increasing your electricity bill.

LED Fairy Lights: Drape LED string lights over trees or along pathways to give your party a whimsical glow. LEDs use much less energy than traditional lights and last longer too—perfect for reusing next year.

Solar powered lantersn in tree

Compost the Corpses… Err, Pumpkins

When the party’s over, don’t forget to give your decorations a second life:

Pumpkin Composting: After Halloween, make sure your carved pumpkins don’t end up in the landfill. Compost them!

Upcycled Decor: Save your DIY decorations for next year or repurpose them into everyday home decor (because who says a cute ghost can’t hang out in November?)

Pumpkins in wheelbarrow

Spread the Ghostly Word

Make sure your guests know they’re stepping into an eco-conscious celebration. Add a line on your invitation about how it’s an eek-o-friendly party. Encouraging guests to bring their own reusable cups or cutlery, or even their own reusable treat bags, can make a big difference. Plus, it’s a great way to spread the word about green living.

With these tricks up your sleeve, you’re all set to host a Halloween party that’s every bit as wickedly fun as it is kind to the planet. It’s proof that you can have a good time without leaving a terrifying trail of waste behind. Happy Hauntings! 🎃

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