As summer draws to an end, the fall and winter-time festivities start to ramp up with various holidays drawing near. Often seasonal decorations are cheaply made and targeted at impulse shoppers to “get in the holiday spirit”, but serve no real purpose and are tossed out at the end of the season. These products are destined to end up in a landfill and replaced the next year with more decor. 

Just because you’re trying to make sustainable changes in your life doesn’t mean you need to miss out on the seasonal fun and festivities! Here are some simple ways to have a festive fall and spooky halloween season while still keeping the planet in mind. After all, nothing’s scarier than climate change, right?

Ditch Disposable Decorations

One way to reduce your decorating waste is to simply stop buying disposable decor. The faux spider webs with tiny plastic spiders can be seen everywhere during the Halloween season, and after they’re used up are thrown away and replaced every year. Bits and wisps of the plastic webbing are sure to float off and end up in the gutter as pollution at some point. Not to mention that the large webs can trap and harm birds, bats, insects, squirrels, and other small wildlife. If you’re looking for spider webs, try making your own reusable web out of some cotton or jute rope or string (be sure it’s an organic fiber), tie it all together in a web-like pattern.

The classic fall decor is to have pumpkins and Jack-o’-lanterns laid out on the porch, but did you know that more than 1.3 Billion lbs of pumpkin are sent to landfill every year in the United States alone? All of that organic matter will anaerobically break down and create literal tons of harmful greenhouse gasses like Methane in the process. Don’t let your beautiful pumpkins add to climate change this year! But just because you’re reducing waste doesn’t mean you have to skip out on all the pumpkiny fun. Check below for some ways you can prevent your pumpkins from ending up in a landfill, such as cooking & eating, donating, and composting them!

If you’re having a gathering of people, no need to buy themed disposable plates, cups, platters, napkins, or utensils. These items aren’t reusable or recyclable, and are often used for only a few minutes before being sent to landfill.  Use this gathering to teach your guests about simple zero-waste options. You can use whatever reusable plates and cutlery you already have, or better yet, ask people to bring their own. If you’re still in need of more or worried about breaking your nice dishware, head to your local thrift shop and buy some inexpensive plates and cutlery for the gathering. As for party decor, skip the disposable decorations like confetti, party poppers, noise makers, or streamers. They don’t add any value, and are destined for a landfill. Instead, try out some reusable decor items that are sure to be just as festive!

Reduce, Reuse, and Upcycle!

If you’re in need of some new decorations, head to your local thrift shop, charity shop, or second hand store to find decor that’s new-to-you. These shops are often filled with seasonal decorations, but can often sell out as the holiday draws closer. So head to the shops early in the season before all the decor sells out. Check after the holiday when people are tidying up their decoration pile, and plan ahead for next year's festivities! You can also check out some online secondhand marketplaces to find what you’re looking for. Freecycle is an online organization where people can trade or offer up any unwanted items to the local community, preventing the items from ending up in landfill. Or if you’re part of a neighborhood message board or community group, see if anyone is interested in a decoration swap! This way, the whole community can be involved in waste-free decorating while also getting some exciting new props.

For the crafty, try DIY-ing up some new decorations! There are tons of blog articles, YouTube videos, & Pinterest boards online dedicated to DIY and upcycled decorations, so why not give some a try. These ideas are usually pretty simple and can even be cheaper than store bought decorations, and by upcycling materials can save them from ending up in a landfill. And if you need any extra materials, check in at the local thrift shop to see what items you can reuse & repurpose.

Try turning old, rusted, or damaged canning jar rings into a cute pumpkin decoration. Just paint them orange (or whatever pumpkin color you fancy), string them together in a loop, and add in a stick for the stem on top. With worn out clothes that are too beat up to donate, consider making your own scarecrow. Fill the inside of the clothes with raked up leaves and place them outside. Then when fall is over, empty out the clothes, add the leaves to the yard waste bin, and stash the clothes away for next year (this will also save a ton of storage space). Old white sheets can be turned into a floating ghost, or even follow the latest internet trend and just wear it as a ghost costume yourself! Intact fall leaves can be collected from the ground and strung together to make a beautiful hanging wall or window decor. Damaged and decaying scrap wood can be thrown together to make a spooky dilapidated fence. And scrap cardboard is the perfect canvas for painting a cute fall scene or a spooky halloween graveyard. Just hang onto some empty boxes (or sort through available neighborhood recycling bins), and let your creativity flow!

Compostable Decor

If you’re looking for less permanent decorations that need to be stored away the rest of the year, look into some compostable decoration! Pumpkins & gourds, straw bales, dried multi-colored corn, and beautiful dried flowers & leaves are all seasonally appropriate AND completely compostable! 

Consider cooking up your pumpkin after the holidays and eating it yourself! It’s way simpler than you may think, not to mention that these squash are quite nutritious as well. Pumpkins are high in Vitamins C, E, K, as well providing healthy amounts of Potassium, Manganese, Iron, and antioxidants. Roasted pumpkin cubes are the perfect addition to grain bowls, veggie sheet bakes, curries, soup & stews, pasta dishes, or just eaten on it’s own as a side dish. Try pairing the pumpkin with fresh sage, the two flavors go incredibly well together! Pumpkin puree can be used for all sorts of baking recipes, from quick breads, muffins, and cookies to pies, custards, and puddings. You can substitute pumpkin puree for mashed bananas or applesauce in almost any application, so rework some of your favorite recipes to include a little pumpkin. Even the seeds inside the pumpkins are edible! Toss them with some olive oil, herbs or spices, and roast them in the oven. They make a delicious, healthy, crunchy snack while also reducing food waste. If you’re big on gardening, you could even try drying out some of the seeds to save for next year, and plant your own backyard pumpkin patch! Pumpkin can also be given to dogs as part of their food, but be sure to double check it with your vet before hand

While carving Jack-o'-lanterns is a fall tradition in the United States, it destroys the possibility of eating your pumpkin once the season is over. Carved pumpkins are notorious for molding and decaying quickly, and you wouldn’t eat any other food that’s been left out in the open for a month. Try skipping the pumpkin carving this year, and instead paint or draw a design on your pumpkin so it’s still edible later on.

Remember that pumpkins are food, and it seems ridiculous to buy food for the aesthetic, only to throw it out later. If you have any whole pumpkins left at the end of the season that you won’t eat yourself, consider donating them! Bring them to a local soup kitchen or meal program near you. Most locations won’t turn down perfectly edible food, and this way they’re sure to feed someone in need! 

Straw bales and corn stalks are other classic fall decorations that are completely biodegradable after they’re used for decor. Before sending them to the compost, consider donating them to a local farm, 4H program, wildlife sanctuary, or animal shelter. They can be used for feed or bedding, and farming & wildlife organizations may even take carved Jack-o’-lanterns for feed as well. So whatever end-of-season decor you have around, search the web to find some worthy causes close to you.

As a last resort, pumpkins, straw bales, dried corn, and other natural fall decorations can be given up to the compost. Add them into your own bin (cut up into smaller pieces), or find a composting service near you that will take them. If you’re really dedicated, take leftover pumpkins and other compostable decorations from friends and neighbors to donate or compost. That way, as little organic waste will go to landfills as possible.

Zero-Waste Goodies

The main draw of Halloween for most kids (and adults too) is all that free candy! The National Retail Federation estimated that in 2019, $2.6 Billion was expected to be spent on candy alone in the United States. While all that candy is fun and exciting, it leads to a ton of plastic pollution from all the individually wrapped pieces. Most candies from major companies rely on palm oil, which is one of the leading factors for deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. These candies are also commonly filled with animal products, gluten, soy, tree nuts, and other common allergens, making it hard on people with dietary restrictions. 

To keep up with the candy culture while still sticking to the zero-waste roots, consider heading to your local refillery or bulk foods store and stocking up on some package-free candies. You can arrange this loose candy and treats into some homemade goodie bags to hand out to friends and family. For extra pizazz, you can decorate your own reusable bags to fit the holiday with paints, washable markers, or any other medium you can think of. They’re sure to be a hit, and a great way to reduce unnecessary waste this Halloween!