From Candy to Costumes, These Are The Easiest Eco Friendly Halloween Swaps

As much as I love hot girl summer, nothing gets me quite as hyped as spooky season… I think it’s something about the joy it sparks for my inner child? I loved trick-or-treating as a kid because of all the candy I brought home, and Hocus Pocus just hits different this time of year. (As an adult, I obviously buy my own candy, but girl math means that getting it half-off after the holiday basically makes it *free.*)

Now chances are, unless you have something against Halloween, you like to dress up, decorate and/or entertain for October 31^st. And whether you’re planning on trick-or-treating, decorating for trick-or-treaters, or hosting a costume party, you know how overwhelming it can be to prepare. It’s a lot of moving parts for one night of the year. Which is why it’s understandable that most people buy expendable goodies for the holiday and then toss them November 1^st.

But we’re in our sustainable girl eras, and we know we can do better. So I’ve compiled a list of different Halloween elements you can replace this year with eco-friendly alternatives!

Eco Friendly Candy Swaps

Unreal

You can find Unreal snacks at most major grocery stores nowadays. They sell candy with simple ingredients, significantly less sugar, and sustainably sourced palm oil. And while they do still package in plastic, you can take the extra step to recycle through TerraCycle or a disposal service like Ridwell!

Alter Eco

Alter Eco is a certified B-Corp that has worked to create a carbon-neutral product and close the loop on their manufacturing process. They sell fair-trade, organic chocolates packaged in recyclable or compostable wrappers. If you love Lindt, you can grab a box of 60 truffles in 9 flavors for passing out (or stashing away).

Seattle Chocolate

Seattle Chocolate’s truffles come in nearly endless flavors, from classic milk chocolate to espresso and even a pop-in-your-mouth pink bubbly. These individually packed chocolates come in a rainbow of colors, making them fun to hand out to trick-or-treaters or just display in your Halloween party candy bowl. Their chocolate is ethically and sustainably sourced (Rainforest Alliance certified), their wrapping is home compostable, and the whole company is carbon neutral! They ship nationwide and can be found in stores across the US.

Glee Gum 

I would never want to deprive any child of the rite of passage that is Dubble Bubble gum. But if you want to switch it up for an alternative that’s all-natural and sustainably packaged, Glee gum sells 12-packs of regular and sugar free gums in 10 flavors!

Palm Free Chocolate

If you’re looking to go the extra mile this Halloween, opt for palm-free chocolate in your candy bowl. See why you may want to skip the traditional palm-oil laden candy brands here, and find a whole list of our favorite palm-free chocolate companies in this guide too!

Halloween Décor Swaps

Pumpkins

What’s really spooky is how much plastic goes into achieving those fall vibes this time of year. Where are my Trader Joe’s girlies at?? This is your Bat Signal—TJ’s mini gourds are the perfect, eco-friendly and affordable way to decorate your home and porch this season. They, along with the traditional pumpkin, can be disposed of sustainably in a number of ways.

Bonus points if you make it to a local pumpkin patch or farmers market for your “living” decor. Just remember… if it was outside on Halloween, it’s NOT good to eat.

Lights

I know that we love creating an immaculate ambiénce, and lights are an integral part of setting the mood! LED and solar-powered lights are an easy swap for the traditional plug-in this Halloween. You can get smart solar string-lights and change the color to match different holidays (i.e. Halloween and Christmas), or opt for rechargeable or recyclable batteries for LED lights.

Candy Pails

Ditch the plastic candy pail this year! Besides the obvious at-home alternatives like a pillowcase or reusable tote, there are adorable felt buckets you can use instead (or make if you’re feeling crafty).

Eco Friendly Halloween Costumes

Face Paint

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! If you’d rather spend time perfecting your face than wearing a costume this Halloween, Natural Earth Paint sells jars of face paint that are free of heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and petroleum-based dyes. All paints come in recycled packaging, home compostable paint pouches, or glass you can reuse after emptying the jar.

Face Glitter

With Barbie likely being a Halloween favorite this year, it’s a good time to remind everyone that regular craft glitter is NOT meant to be used on your face. It can contain toxic chemicals and be made from harmful plastic or metal particles. Always look for glitter that is marked as “cosmetic-grade” and ideally biodegradable like BioGlitter®. While you can find BioGlitter® at a number of retailers, Moon Shatter makes a point of packaging their products in reusable glass jars. 

Costume Tips

There’s a reason Spirit Halloween makes over a billion dollars annually. People love dressing up, and popular costumes change year to year. But you can opt for a low-waste holiday this season by thrifting, reusing an old costume, or swapping with friends and family. Most of us have at least one old costume collecting dust in our closets anyway… why not organize a swap among friends? Get creative! There’s no reason anyone should have to justify spending $50+ on an outfit they wear for less than 12 hours.

Which eco friendly Halloween tips would you add to this list? Let us know below!