With the candy wrappers, costumes, and cobwebby decorations, there is a lot of plastic that can come out of this spooky holiday. We’ve been brainstorming and have come up with some interesting alternatives to celebrate Halloween in style without using plastic!
Candies without plastic
Candies are of course what kids have come to expect, and we understand that candy is still the bulk of what will be given out, so here are some ideas for plastic-free ways to offer up sweet treats. When looking for plastic-free candies, try to find treats wrapped in recyclable materials like paper boxes or foil. If you pick them up at a bulk store in your own jars, you can even avoid the larger packaging too! Some ideas for plastic-free candies are Smarties, Dots, mini packages of natural Glee Gum, Coco Camino chocolates, Hershey kisses, and those chocolates that come in pumpkin styled foil.
Non-candy treats
Another way to go is offering non-candy treat! There are so many interesting idea’s for plastic-free and candy-free Halloween hand-outs that kids will love. We’ve got a few for you here that are easy to pick up or quick and fun to make yourself.
Halloween crayons are a fun DIY project with little ones and a great alternative to hand out on Halloween. Use up the ends of those wax crayons at the bottom of the pencil case and turn them into new multi-color crayons! For instructions on making these zerowaste crayons, see this post by the Macaroni Kid.
A friendship bracelet kit is another plastic-free non-candy alternative! Simply pre-cut some bracelet cords of all different Halloween themed colors and tie them together. Then print out instructions on how to make the the bracelet itself, remove the safety pin, and roll the cords around the instructions. This idea gives kids a game for later and a gift for always. Idea from @zerowastefail on Instagram.
Cool coin collections can start with you! Another non-candy and zero-waste treat idea is to give out a really cool coin like the half dollar pieces or celebration coins. These can be found at the Royal Canadian Mint, the United States Mint, and easily enough on Ebay too.
Choose to Reuse
We know these plastic pumpkins are cute but there are tons of cute other ways to collect candy without buying new plastic buckets. How about a plastic-free alternative that can be reused later like one of our organic cotton reusable bags. Natural wooden or wicker baskets can also be a great option, and of course, there’s always the good ol’ fashion pillow case.
DIY zerowaste Halloween decorations
Halloween decorations often mean synthetic spiderwebs, single-use decorations, and just a heck of a lot of plastic in general. This year, let’s aim for more natural, reusable, and zerowaste alternatives! We can pick up some beautiful gourds, sunflowers, wheat, or even a rustic bail of hay to get that fall feeling goin. We can get crafty and DIY some deco! and we can get out our carving tools, roll up our sleeves, and carve out a few pumpkins!
Paper lanterns from Crafting Chicks. Mason jar lantern from Jolene’s crafting. Bat garland from Hello Glow. Pumpkin candles from Revel Blog.
Spooky Snacks
Another great idea is to get creative with some homemade snacks that contribute to the whole theme and are decorations in themselves. Pop some gummie worms or other spooky candies into an ice cube tray like our stainless steel ice version to make halloween themed ice cubes!
Be creative with your Halloween costume
Anyone else noticing that Halloween costumes are becoming more expensive, but being made with more cheaper and synthetic materials? We have some ideas to save money, reduce plastic, avoid buying new, and look phenomenal!
1. Borrow from family and friends: So many of us have a box of old costumes that don’t see the sunlight and are just begging to be used. How about a Halloween costume swap with your family and friends? This way you’re reusing items without buying new, and giving old costumes a new life!
2. Buy second hand: Get creative and head to your favorite thrift shop to get the pieces to your DIY costume! There are always gems to be found in those stores and this is a resourceful way to reuse old items without buying new – it’s also usually way less expensive than buying a costume new.
3. Choose a meaningful costume: Even a costume can be an opportunity to act on our values and make a statement. For example, one could create a costume from plastic waste (that you’ve given a cleaning) and be the Great Pacific garbage patch or go as Rob Greenfield or do your own Trash Me challenge where you fill clear plastic bags with the cleaned garbage you created that month to represent your monthly waste! Costumes like these are great ice-breakers and can provide a meaningful learning experience and an opportunity to get people thinking and talking about the importance of taking action on plastic!
Stay Spooky & Stay Safe this Halloween Everyone!
~ Sarah W