How to green your Halloween

Halloween is fast becoming an Aussie favourite – and with a little creativity, you can make it as kind to the planet as it is spooky. From costumes to decorations, there are heaps of easy ways to green your Halloween, celebrate sustainably, and still have plenty of fun.

At Ecopack, we love seeing families, schools, and neighbourhoods bring a touch of eco-friendly magic to their celebrations. So, grab your broomstick (and reusable tote), and let’s give Halloween a sustainable twist!

Green your Halloween costumes: DIY and reuse

Ditch the plastic and embrace imagination! Instead of store-bought costumes that last one night and end up in landfill, hunt through your wardrobe or local op shop for hidden gems.

• Turn an old white sheet into a ghost or a toga.
• Use cardboard boxes to make robot armour or crocodile jaws, or tin foil to become a shiny space explorer.
• Repurpose last year’s dress-ups or host a costume swap with friends, schools or playgroups.

Bonus tip: If you need accessories like fake blood or face paint, make your own! Beetroot juice, cocoa powder, and cornstarch can work wonders.

Eco-friendly Halloween decorations with heart (and less plastic)

Forget cheap plastic decorations – nature provides all the spooky vibes you need.

• Gather fallen branches, gum leaves, and seed pods to create rustic centrepieces.
• Carve real pumpkins (or a seasonal Aussie alternative such as butternut squash or watermelon) and compost them afterwards.
• Light the way with solar fairy lights instead of battery-powered string lights.
• Reuse old jars as lanterns – pop in a candle or LED tealight and watch the magic happen.

After Halloween, pop natural decorations into your compost bin or green waste bin – not landfill.

Treats that don’t trick the planet

Those mini chocolate bars and lollies wrapped in plastic? They add up fast. Go greener by:

• Buying bulk sweets and portioning them into paper or compostable snaplock bags.
• Baking homemade treats like cookies or popcorn balls (if you know your trick-or-treaters personally).
• Offering non-food treats like pencils, stickers, or seed packets – a fun, allergy-friendly swap.

And when it comes to collecting treats, skip the plastic pumpkin buckets. Kids will love decorating the own reusable fabric tote or cute little drawstring cotton bag.

Green your Halloween party the sustainable way

Hosting a Halloween party? Make it low-waste without losing any of the fun:

• Use reusable or compostable plates and cups – no single-use plastics needed.
• Decorate with fabric bunting or DIY paper garlands.
• Collect food scraps and compost them (our compostable bin liners make this easy).
• Keep leftovers fresh in reusable containers or resealable compostable bags, not plastic cling wrap.

If you’re going all out with lighting and music, keep it energy-smart: use LED bulbs or solar-powered gear and turn everything off when the night’s done.

After the fun: give back to nature

Once the party’s over, make your cleanup as eco-conscious as your setup:

• Compost real pumpkins, leaves, and food waste.
• Recycle paper decorations and save fabric ones for next year.
• Store costumes, lights, and decor in labelled boxes to reuse again.
• Set aside anything that can be restyled or upcycled in your Christmas prep.

Make it a community movement

Encourage your neighbours to join the green Halloween revolution! Host a “swap and share” afternoon for costumes, decorations, or treats. The more people who join in, the bigger your environmental impact — and the more connected your community feels.

This Halloween, let’s keep it spooky and sustainable

By swapping a few habits and adding a dash of creativity, we can make Halloween in Australia a little greener (and maybe even start a new local tradition).

Let’s make the season about connection, creativity, and caring for the planet — one eco-friendly trick-or-treat at a time.