A Spooktacularly Less Waste Halloween

Halloween is full of spooky fun, but the real fright often comes after the celebrations, when bins overflow with unwanted costumes, decorations, sweet wrappers and pumpkins. Like Christmas, Halloween can create a surprising amount of waste for just one day of festivities.

The good news? A little planning can help you enjoy all the fun while reducing waste, saving money and helping the environment. Here are five simple ways to make your Halloween less wasteful in 2026.

1. Reuse, Repair or Share Your Costume

Research by Hubbub estimates that around 7 million Halloween costumes are thrown away each year in the UK, creating around 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste. Many costumes are made from synthetic materials and are only worn once.

Instead of buying new:

• Get creative and make a costume using items you already own.
• Repair or adapt an old costume for a fresh look.
• Swap costumes with friends, family or neighbours.
• Buy second-hand from charity shops or online marketplaces.
• Donate unwanted costumes to charity or place suitable textiles in a clothing recycling bank.

2. Save Your Pumpkin from the Bin

Millions of pumpkins are bought every Halloween, yet many are never eaten. Hubbub’s Pumpkin Rescue campaign encourages everyone to make the most of this versatile food and reduce unnecessary food waste.

Try these pumpkin-saving tips:

• Choose a smaller pumpkin, as they are often tastier and easier to cook.
• Decorate rather than carve to keep pumpkins fresh for longer.
• Use the flesh and seeds in soups, curries, cakes and roasted snacks.
• Freeze leftovers for future meals.
• Compost any scraps that cannot be eaten.

Find recipes and ideas through the Eat Your Pumpkin campaign.

3. Decorate Without the Waste

Before heading to the shops, take a look at what you already have. Many Halloween decorations can be reused year after year.

You could:

• Make decorations from cardboard boxes, fabric scraps, old jars or natural materials.
• Create spooky displays using autumn leaves, pinecones and branches collected from your garden.
• Choose durable decorations that can be stored and reused.
• Remove batteries from light-up decorations before storing them to prevent damage and extend their life.

The most sustainable decoration is usually the one you already own.

4. Think Before You Buy Halloween Treats

Halloween is a great opportunity to avoid unnecessary packaging and impulse purchases.

Instead of buying more than you need:

• Plan how many trick-or-treaters you’re likely to have.
• Choose multipacks carefully to avoid excess sweets being left over.
• Use refill stations where available.
• Save leftover treats for lunchboxes, sharing or future celebrations.
• Check whether any packaging can be recycled through local recycling schemes.

A little planning can prevent both food waste and packaging waste.

5. Sort Your Halloween Waste Properly

Even with the best planning, some waste is unavoidable. Make sure it ends up in the right place.

Remember to:

• Reuse items wherever possible before recycling.
• Compost pumpkins and other food waste if your collection service accepts it.
• Recycle clean cardboard packaging and paper decorations.
• Take hard-to-recycle items to appropriate collection points.
• Never place batteries, electrical decorations or items containing batteries in your household bin. These can cause fires in waste vehicles and recycling facilities.

Anything with a battery should be kept separate and recycled responsibly.

Plan Ahead and Keep Halloween Waste-Free

This Halloween, challenge yourself to buy less, waste less and make the most of what you already have. By reusing costumes, rescuing pumpkins, choosing reusable decorations and recycling correctly, you can help make this spooky season a little less scary for the environment and your wallet.

Have a great Halloween… without the waste!