The City of Arcata encourages residents to celebrate sustainably this spooky season by reducing single-use waste and making choices that are kinder to the planet.
Halloween is haunting the environment in ways that are easy to overlook. Every year, Americans generate massive amounts of waste from single-use costumes, disposable decorations, candy wrappers and discarded pumpkins. However, with a little planning, it is possible to treat the Earth to a low-waste Halloween.
Here are fun and practical ways to reduce holiday waste without sacrificing any of the spirit:
Getting into Character: Eco-Friendly Costumes
- Challenge friends and family to wear eco-friendly costumes, then award the best one!
- DIY it! Get creative with the clothing, accessories and makeup already at home.
- Thrift it! Local secondhand shops have unique, budget-friendly costume pieces. Choose long-lasting and swappable costume accessories like capes, hats and boots that can be used again in future years.
- Organize or join a costume swap with neighbors, coworkers, family or friends.
- Pair an eco-conscious costume with a reusable bag when trick-or-treating. Use a pillowcase, tote bag or any suitable container found around the house instead of buying something new.
The Trick to Offering Treats Without the Trash
- Avoid plastic-wrapped candy when possible. Choose candy with recyclable (e.g. aluminum foil) or compostable (e.g. cardboard or paper) packaging.
- Instead of handing out sweets, get creative with candy alternatives. Some options include:
- Mini soda cans (recyclable), clementines with jack-o-lantern faces (compostable), seed packets (choose native, non-invasive plants only), school supplies, hair accessories or homemade cookies and treats in compostable bags (if the neighborhood is comfortable with it).
- Any candy wrappers that are not recyclable or compostable can be used to make an Ecobrick. Find out more about the Ecobrick Movement at ecobricks.org.
Haunt Responsibly: Eco-Friendly Festivities
- Plan low-waste party games like cookie decorating, pumpkin carving, bobbing for apples, truth or scare or horror charades using items from home. Be sure to compost during clean-up.
- Label compost, recycling and trash bins so guests know where to toss their waste.
- Offer reusable utensils, cups, plates and other party supplies rather than disposables. Instead of buying new supplies, borrow from friends and family, buy secondhand or rent from a service like Bright and Green.
Devil’s in the Details: Decorate with the Earth in Mind
- Plan to compost, recycle or care for decorations over a lifetime. Avoid glow sticks and cheap, plastic décor that contain harmful chemicals and end up in landfills.
- Get creative with natural and upcycled materials. Just remember to remove any paint, embellishments and tape as these can’t be recycled or composted:
- Make ghosts with old sheets and towels. Use natural twine for spider webs. Turn kraft paper or cardboard into spooky banners, paper bats or tombstones. Make potions with glass bottles.
- Incorporate pumpkins, pinecones, gourds, hay bales and corn stalks. These versatile items can be used in multiple ways and composted after the holiday (see next section).
- Trade décor with friends or check thrift stores for new-to-you decorations instead of buying new. Donate any unwanted decorations after the holiday.
- Inflatable decorations use unnecessary electricity, can contribute to noise pollution and easily develop holes in them, especially if not stored properly, which leads to them heading directly to the landfill.
Don’t Send Pumpkins to the Graveyard
- Skip the fake plastic pumpkins, real ones are fully biodegradable and far more festive. Get fall produce from local farms or grocers and plan to use all their parts.
- Eat them! Roast the seeds and cook the flesh. Make soups, pies, lattes, scones, hummus and more.
- Compost the rest! Remove any paint or glitter first, then compost any rotten gourds and leftover food that won’t get used. Compost at home or use a local service like Full Cycle Compost or the Local Worm Guy.
- Know state and local compost laws and why they matter. Under California’s SB 1383, cities and residents are required to reduce organic waste sent to landfills where it produces harmful greenhouse gases like methane, a climate super pollutant. By composting pumpkins, food scraps and other organics, emissions can be significantly cut and return nutrients to the soil. Learn more at cityofarcata.org/sb1383.
Pick the best parts of Halloween and let go of the rest. Then, start eco-friendly Halloween traditions that can last for years to come. For more sustainable living tips and local waste prevention resources, visit cityofarcata.org/790/Waste-Prevention-Resources or call (707) 822-8184.