It’s spooky season and something even scarier than ghosts and ghouls is how much waste is generated by Americans during the month of October.
Keep reading for ideas on how to make your Halloween more sustainable this year.
Don’t waste your pumpkins
More than 2 billion pounds of pumpkins were produced in 2020. Combined with the fact that 40% of food ends up in landfills, that makes 800 million pounds of pumpkins producing methane in landfills across the US. Pretty spooky!
Instead of throwing your jack-o-lantern in the trash, try eating it! Save the seeds for toasting or roast the flesh of the pumpkin for eating or in baked goods.
If pumpkin flavor isn’t your thing, compost away! Be sure to only compost carved pumpkins, as many paints release harmful chemicals into the finished compost.
Thrift costumes and decor
We get it. The new pumpkin decor at Target is seriously cute. But is it worth the price to the planet and your wallet?
Not only is buying brand new costumes and decorations wasteful, it’s also expensive! The average person spends about one hundred dollars on Halloween materials each year.
Thrift shops are full of nearly-new items for a fraction of the price and buying secondhand gives already-created items a new life and keeps them out of the landfill. It’s a win-win!
Recycle your candy wrappers
Candy wrappers are not something that recycling centers accept and millions go to the landfill every year. Instead, recycle them if you can!
Through November 5th, New Moon Refillery will be picking up Halloween candy wrappers for recycling! Add the item Halloween candy wrapper recycling to your cart to let us know you’ll be leaving them out.
New Moon Refillery is a zero waste store in the Denver Metro. Follow us on Instagram for more zero waste ideas!