Halloween costumes give all of us a chance to be someone or something else. But this spooky holiday leaves its mark on the planet. Most costumes are treated as disposable, which means they end up in the trash when the partying and trick or treating are over. Commercial costumes (and decorations) can be expensive, too. All together, we Americans spend over $5 billion annually for this one-day celebration.

Here are some greener options that will save you money, too.

Thrift Stores – For the smartest, greenest option, go to your local thrift store, where you can find used Halloween costumes at a discount. In fact, thrift store shopping is so popular for Halloween that places sell out their stock long before October 31 rolls around. Even if you don’t find a pre-fab costume, once you’re shopping, look for accessories like hats, coats, scarves, boots, purses, sports equipment, jewelry, gloves and anything else that’s fun, funky, goofy or gory.

Attics and Closets – Find old sheets, clothes that haven’t made it to a yard sale yet, lampshades, purses or briefcases you no longer use, old toys, old scout uniforms …use your imagination!

Make Your Own Out of Organic Fabric – Decorate or dye this organic cotton fleece and hemp to your ghoulish heart’s desire.

Use Recycled Cardboard and Paper – Appliance boxes, like those that a refrigerator or washing machine are delivered in, can be turned into monsters (think Frankenstein), a walking smart phone, a house, a car, a rhinoceros…

National Costume Swap Day offers another money-saving and eco-friendly alternative. Instead of buying something new, swap with someone who has a costume in good shape that they no longer want or need. You can find an “official” costume swap here. Or set up one in your neighborhood yourself. The folks at EcoMom Alliance and Green Halloween have pulled together this How to Host a Costume Swap checklist to make it easy-peasy to swap with neighbors, family and friends.

Green Halloween Costume Swap, powered by TradePal – TradePal is an online marketplace that makes it easy for college students to barter, trade and sell stuff they have for stuff they want. TradePal is partnering with the organizers of Campus Sustainability Day to make it easy for students to swap the masks, costumes, and wigs they already have for the ones they want.

Other ideas? Please share your suggestions in the comments below.

And for more green Halloween ideas, don’t miss:

A Green and Cheap Halloween: Top Ten Tips

Make Your Own “Green” Halloween Face Paint

Organic Halloween Candy Tastes Good, Too!

Green Halloween Decorations You Can Reuse and Recycle 

Need organic Halloween candy, reusable candy bags, and help in carving the perfect pumpkin? Please drop by our curated Amazon store. (We earn a very small commission on store purchases that helps pay for Big Green Purse to keep bringing you useful information.)

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* Use an old pillow case the kids decorate themselves. About three inches from the top on each side cut out a wedge of fabric to make a handle. You can sew some basting stitches around the edges to reinforce the holes, but they’ll probably be fine for one night. When Halloween is over and the candy emptied out, wash the bag, then save for next year or cut into dust cloths and cleaning rags.

* Sew together the bottom of an old t-shirt. Then cut around the neck opening to enlarge it enough to make a opening to drop candy into. Tuck in the sleeves, or cut around the sleeve to make handles.

* If you have to get something new, these reusable, easy-to-carry Green Halloween trick-or-treat bags can hold 25 pounds of candy. And when Halloween is over, they fold up into a tidy little pouch you can store away with the rest of your Halloween stuff.

Want more eco-friendly Halloween trick-or-treat bags? Here you go (we might earn a  teeny tiny commission on your purchase – and that helps us stay in business. No obligation, of course, but thanks in advance if you do make a purchase.

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Read the Label Before You Buy

The good news is, organic Halloween candy is easy to find, and not just online. Increasingly, neighborhood grocery stores, chains like Whole Foods, and food coops are carrying it, too. Here’s what to look for when you go shopping. The key thing is to read the ingredients label and look for certifications that back up a company’s product claims.

YES

  Organic Certification – The USDA organic seal indicates that the ingredients were produced according to federal organic guidelines.

Real Fruit Juice – Juice made from apples, cherries, lemons, grapes and other fruits is often used to produce hard candy.

Natural Ingredients – These may include real licorice, organic cocoa, organic milk, and herbs like mint (as opposed to ingredient “flavors,” which are synthetic chemicals. You might also find ginger extract, oil of wintergreen, currants, and beta carotene.

  Non-GMO – The non-GMO label indicates ingredients that were produced from crops that were not grown from genetically-modified organisms (GMO

NO

High Fructose Corn Syrup or Artificial Sweeteners – Look for candy sweetened with cane sugar, molasses, honey, stevia or sweet fruits like oranges, grapes and apples.

Artificial Food Coloring and Dye – Rather than Red Dye #40, or another color with a number after it, look for ingredients like beets, carrots, currants, oranges and lemons that impart their color.

Preservatives – Halloween candy is one of those things that people buy and eat right away. You certainly don’t need candy that is preserved to last into next year. Don’t buy more than you need, and you won’t need to worry about when it expires.

Organic Halloween Candy

 YumEarth Organic Lollipops – Buy a few bags of these “suckers” and you’ll be set for the night. In eight luscious flavors: Yumwatermelon, blueberry, sour apple, pomegranate, mango, grape, strawberry and cherry. Yum Earth also sells organic candy drops and gummy bears.

 Surf Sweets Sour Worms – In addition to being made with organic fruit juice and sweeteners, the company donates 1% of the sales of its products to several environmental organizations, including Climate Cycle, Healthy Child Healthy World, and EcoMom Alliance.

 Endangered Species Bug Bites – Choose from organic milk or dark chocolate Bug Bites and Chimp Mints.

  GoNaturally Organic Hard Candies – Available in honey lemon, cherry, pomegranate, and other flavors.

 ZOT Organic Licorice – Made in Italy from organically grown licorice plant root.

 UNREAL Candy Peanut Butter Cups – Though the ingredients aren’t organic, they are “real,” not artificial creations (so…real milk chocolate, caramel and nougat; no corn syrup, preservatives, GMOs, hydrogenated oils, or gluten.

Justin’s Organic Peanut Butter Cups – These are delicious, as well as organic, gluten-free and GMO-free. Available in dark, milk and white chocolate. Very addictive!! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

  Clif Organic Chocolate Brownie Kid ZBars – Technically, these aren’t candy bars. But they can pass for a close second, and they don’t melt nearly as fast as a Kit Kat.

Franny’s Organic Select Raisins in snacksize boxes. I always include boxes of raisins in my Halloween “candy” offerings, even though most kids prefer actual candy. Maybe you’ll have more luck than I.

Alter-Eco Organic Black Truffles – They’re organic, Fair Trade, and delicious. You’ll find them in milk chocolate as well as dark.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED FOR HALLOWEEN?

Find non-toxic face paint, “eco” friendly trick-or-treat bags, decorations, pumpkin carving tools, and costumes in our store. Note: We earn a tiny commission on purchases, which helps us bring you expert content and product recommendations for free. Thanks.

RELATED GREEN HALLOWEEN POSTS

Top 10 Green Halloween Decorations

Halloween Costumes: Swap Before You Shop

Make Your Own Green Halloween Face Paint

A Green and Cheap Halloween: Top Ten Tips

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What’s so green about them? They:

* minimize plastic and trash

* use less energy

* can be easily reused or recycled, and

* save money.

Halloween is fun, but it shouldn’t be one of those holidays that breaks the bank or trashes the planet. Here are some suggestions for energy-saving lights, natural candles and simple decorations. We’d love to hear what you’re doing, too.

#1 LED Lights – Energy-saving lights have become all the rage for Christmas; now, you can use them at Halloween, too. Available in orange, purple, and white. Wrap them around your porch rail or door frame, or use them to light dark paths and stairs.

#2 Beeswax or Soy Candles – You don’t want open candle flames around during trick or treating, especially since so many kids will be wearing synthetic costumes that are highly flammable. Better to put a light inside your carved pumpkin, using a candle made from beeswax or soy rather than paraffin. When Halloween is over, you can compost the pumpkin and not worry about any of the candle wax inside.

NOTE: If you prefer not to have any live flame, you can get LED tea light candles for pumpkins or to use in table displays.

#3 Decorative Squashes and Gourds – I love the beautiful decorative gourds filling farmers markets and produce shelves at stores like Texas’ Central Kitchen. Is anything prettier than a bowlful of differently-sized striped squashes spilling over a table or mantle? NOTE: If you use squashes, gourds and small pumpkins to decorate a porch or patio, put them on a metal tray like a large cookie sheet to keep them fresher and somewhat removed from hungry squirrels and mice. Hide the tray with leaves, straw, or a festive fall towel.

#4 Reusable Spider Webs – Rather than buy crepe paper or that synthetic stretchy stuff that disintegrates in the rain and only lasts for one season, make your own web out of an old sheet you cut into thin strips and stretch into spidery designs. Or, stop by a fabric store and pick up a few yards of reusable black and white fabric that you can reuse for the next several years.If you’re out of time or not in the DIY mood, here’s a reusable black spider web you can use indoors or out.

#5 Leaves, Branches, Twigs – Talk about free! Create a spooky tangle of branches, twigs, dried flowers, and mums out of the debris you find on your driveway or in your backyard. Don’t worry if you’re not “artistic.” On Halloween, everything looks scary!

#6 Hand-Print Spiders and Ghostly Cut-Outs – Use recycled construction paper to cut out ghosts, goblins, bats, and witches. Here’s a cute way kids can make spiders out of their hand prints.

#7 Non-Toxic Paints – You can paint ghosts, bats, and words like Boo! right on your windows using non-toxic, water-based, No-VOC paints. NOTE: Only do this on glass, which will be easy to scrape off after Halloween. Do NOT paint doors, unless you want to repaint them in November!

#8 Old Clothes and Straw Bales – Stuff old long-sleeved shirts, pants, and shoes with straw to look like scarecrows (or the neighbors?).  When Halloween is over, use the straw as mulch in your yard.

#9 Bat Mobile – If you’re in the DIY mood or want to keep the kids busy for a while, make a bat mobile. Adapt this pattern  from Woman’s Day slightly to hang it from the ceiling, or keep it earth-bound. Either way, it’s pretty cute!

#10 Pumpkins – Carve them. Paint them. Or pop them into a clever stand like the ones pictured here and they’ll take on a life of their own. NOTE: Choose locally-grown and organic pumpkins if possible, especially if you plan to cook the pumpkin afterwards. You might be able to find a local pumpkin patch where you can go and pick your own.

We’ve tracked down more green Halloween decorating options and listed them for you in our Amazon store. You can find links to organic Halloween candy there, too. Note: we earn a tiny commission on store purchases, which helps us continue to provide you with our expert content for free. Thanks!

One last money- and time-saving suggestion: when Halloween is over, box up all the decorations that can be re-used, label the box, and tuck it away in the attic or basement where you can easily find it next year.

Related articles

Green Halloween Costumes – Swap Before You Shop

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Snazaroo’s 50 colors are water-based, made with materials that meet health and safety standards set both by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union, and carry a ‘child safety” toy rating. Need sparkle, brushes, sponges or stencils so you don’t turn your princess into a pea pod? Snazaroo sells it all.

Lyra Face Paint Pencils are non-toxic and dermatologically tested to maximize safety. Manufactured according to European Standards and certified by the Art and Craft Materials Institute, they come in a set of six easy-to-apply colors (white, yellow, red, blue, green and black).

Pink Quartz Minerals (featured in photo) is a vegan mineral makeup manufacturer that also offers non-toxic, mineral-based Halloween makeup in a wide variety of colors.

If you have any doubts about a product you’re considering, check the ingredients against the data base maintained by Environmental Working Group.

Of course, you can always buy organically-based, paraben- and phthalate-free cosmetics in your grocery or department store. You can even make your own. Here’s a recipe from…

FamilyEducation.com:

Homemade Halloween Face Paint Recipe:

Materials
Bowl

1 tablespoon solid shortening
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Water (optional)
Natural-based food coloring (you can find this at your local Whole Foods that carries all-natural, non-petroleum-based food coloring items or you can make your own natural food coloring with items you may already have stored in your kitchen!

Small jar or plastic container

Directions
In a bowl, mix shortening and cornstarch until smooth.
Add food coloring one drop at a time until you get the desired color.
Use a clean sponge or fingers to apply paint to a large area or use a small clean brush to apply thin paint- with a little water first.
Remove with soap and water.
Store covered.

Want more green Halloween ideas? Start here.

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1. Reuse costumes. Tap into the treasures hidden in your closet or attic to pull together a fun, no-cost costume (it won’t take any longer than going to the mall, and will be a lot cheaper). Trade costumes with friends and family if you don’t want to wear last year’s get-up. Shop for accessories at yard sales or resale stores. Use your imagination but don’t obsess. The point is to have fun, not be fashionable!

2. Trick and treat.  In lieu of junk food, hand out pencils made from recycled paper, erasers, nickels or dimes – be creative!. My husband used to live in the same neighborhood as baseball legend Casey Stengel – he gave out silver dollars. My neighbor started doling out small cups of apple cider when she realized how much kids love a drink of something when they’re running around like banshees. NatureMoms offers lots of great links to organic lollipops and other fun and healthy treats.

3.  Reverse trick and treating. Global Exchange is encouraging kids to help educate adults about Fair Trade cocoa by handing Fair Trade chocolates back as they trick or treat. The chocolates are attached to a card explaining why Fair Trade offers an alternative to child labor, low wages for farmers and a healthier environment. Order by October 13.

  4. Have a party. If you opt to celebrate at home in lieu of trick or treating, put out bowls of snacks rather than serve up individual throwaway treat bags. Offer pop corn, hummus and pita chips, carrots and dips, fresh apple cider, bat-shaped cookies and muffins. Kids will enjoy painting pumpkins, decorating cupcakes, reading scary stories, bobbing for apples, and going on “flashlight hunts” in the yard (if the party’s after dark) for hidden Halloween surprises. Send electronic invitations to avoid wasting paper and postage.

5. Decorate with Nature. A trip to your yard or the farmers market will provide everything you need to dress up your house for Halloween: leaves and branches, hay bales, gourds, pumpkins, mums, dried flowers.

6.  Light up the night. If you string lights (especially to keep walkways safe for kids), use strands of LEDs like these fun spider lights. They use much less energy than conventional holiday twinklers. Illuminate carved pumpkins with candles from beeswax or soy . Decorate windows and glass door panes with these beautiful non-toxic window paints from Hearthsong. If kids need flashlights to get around in the dark, try the BOGO light recharged with solar energy.

7. Turn it over to the kids. Forget the store-bought hanging witches and skeletons. Have your kids make hand print spiders for the walls and windows. Recycle egg cartons into bats. Carve and paint pumpkins.

8. Try a new bag. The best option for candy collectors is last year’s bag; a pillowcase; or a reusable shopping bag with handles. But if you need something new, try the reusable Chico Halloween Bag. Kids will love its spooky design. You’ll love that it only costs $5.

9. Save for next year. When Halloween is over, pack up costumes, treat bags, lights, and decorations in one big box or bag. Store everything in an easy-to-find place so next year, you don’t have to start completely from scratch.

10. Get even more ideas. Between Green Halloween and the Green Moms Carnival , you’ll find everything you need to know to make your spooky night as eco as possible.

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