Well, can you? Are you still able to get into the spirit of what is rapidly becoming a favourite holiday of our children? Here are some top tips for how we can have a low impact Halloween, leave no trace, yet still get have some spooky fun!

First one for a low impact Halloween is an obvious one – reuse – older decorations, masks, costumes – save them, repurpose them and if you really don’t want them, stick them on your local free site (or even sell them!). There are even some great ideas for repurposing your older costume into something different new. Start here.

Think about your party planning – there’s an obvious line of thinking here, avoid single use plastic – if you want to use disposable items make sure they are biodegradable and make sure your guests keep one cup all night! Buy things with minimal packaging – or ask guests to bring their own.

Food, food, food, – from treats to party food, waste and the carbon footprint of your food can be a real killer. There are lots of tips on here for low impact food – including this freegan feast! But really just remember to buy local where possible, include your younger memers of the family in the preparation, and don’t throw anything away!

Pumpkins – always a big part of Halloween – think where you get yours from, and if you haven’t already, plan to try growing your own next year. Also, compost, or eat, the insides! 18,000 tons of pumpkin are thrown away in the UK each year – let’s change that.

Decorations are possible the biggest source of single use plastic and difficult-to-recycle items. So think creatively this year and remember that the most low impact and sustainable decorations are ones you already own! Consider a bit of a ‘scrapyard’ style- cardboard boxed as gravestones; use leftover wool, or old tights, as hangings and spider webs. Eden Project Communities has lots of ideas on their site.

So – is it possible? What are your top-tips for a sustainable and low-impact Halloween?