How to have a waste free Halloween

Reduce the amount of waste with advice, tips and planning.

Don't let your pumpkin go to waste

Millions of pumpkins are thrown away after Halloween. Once carved, most are tossed out, even though they’re actually meant to be eaten! Here’s a surprise – carving pumpkins are edible and taste great.

What you can do with your pumpkin

Eat it:

Freeze it:

Create with it:

Compost it:

More pumpkin recipes:

Trick-or-treat tips

Tips:

choose foil wrapped or paper packaged sweets
avoid single-use plastic wrappers

Remember, foil or paper wrappers can be recycled, but foil must be taken to a Household Recycling Centre, put it in the scrap metal container.

Decorations

Halloween is the perfect time to get creative! Instead of buying new, why not make your own decorations:

turn empty glass jars into spooky lanterns
cut bats out of old egg boxes
make creepy spiders from scrap paper plates

It’s a fun way to reuse materials and give your recycling a second life.

Go natural

Bring the outdoors in! Autumn is full of natural treasures that make beautiful decorations without creating waste.

Tips:

collect colourful leaves to scatter across your table
use pinecones, twigs, or branches to create spooky centrepieces
tie a bundle of sticks together to make a rustic broomstick

When Halloween is over, you can compost your natural decorations so nothing goes to waste.

Pimp your pumpkin

Instead of carving your pumpkin, try decorating it! Not only will it last longer, but you can also cook and enjoy it afterwards. Hubbub has some brilliant ideas to get you started – check out their tips:

How to decorate your Halloween pumpkin - Hubbub

Shop sustainably

If DIY isn’t your thing, choose decorations that are built to last. Go for reusable items instead of single-use ones, and think about how you’ll store them so they stay in good condition for next year.

Not Sure What to Do With Your Halloween Waste?

If you’re unsure how to recycle any Halloween items, check our A-Z of recycling for quick guidance on the recycling options.

Fancy dress

Every year in the UK, an estimated 2000 tonnes of plastic waste - the equivalent of 83 million bottles – comes from throwaway Halloween costumes sold by major retailers. Here are some simple ways to cut that waste this year.

Reuse what you have

The most sustainable costume is the one already in your wardrobe. Reusing clothes prevents extra items from being bought and binned. With a little creativity, everyday items can be transformed into great outfits. Cardboard boxes become a rocket for an astronaut, or an old bedsheet makes a perfect ghost.

Swap with other parents

Advertise a Halloween fancy dress swap either at your school, community group or via Facebook. A great way to pass on last year’s costumes which are probably outgrown and save some money and plastics (most costumes are man-made materials) at the same time.

Buy second-hand

If swapping isn’t an option, try your local charity shops before buying new. They’re packed with hidden gems, from vintage pieces to accessories that can help you build a creative DIY costume. It’s cheaper, more sustainable, and helps support local charities too.

Tip:

if you’re not sure how to recycle parts of your costume after Halloween, check out our A-Z of recycling for quick guidance on the recycling options