When you think of Halloween, you probably think of candy, costumes, and a whole bunch of spooktastic fun. What you probably don’t think of is a ton of waste, and how harmful disposable decorations and costumes can be for the environment. Most Halloween decorations are made to be disposable, easy to chuck in the trash once November 1st rolls around.

If you want to reduce your carbon footprint but increase your spook factor, try decorating with items you already have around the house. Old clothes can be used to make an awesome scarecrow. Cardboard boxes can be cut into spooky cutouts or tombstones to put in your yard. Most of all, be respectful of the spooky wildlife already in your yard - leave bugs free to creep and crawl, admire bats from afar, and keep candy and pumpkins out of your yard to make sure squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, and other furry critters stay safe and healthy.

Did you know…

• Birds, bees, and other insects can easily get caught, hurt, or killed in fake cobwebs
• Plastic caution tape cannot be recycled and can easily be ingested by local wildlife
• Glitter pieces are hard to clean up and are often eaten by birds and small critters
• The US spends over $7 billion on Halloween each year - reduce the amount you buy, and you reduce the amount you throw away