Add up the candy wrappers, the odd fabric costumes, the glowing porch lights, the cut up pumpkins, the stop and go driving, and by the end of the night (every year) Halloween has a huge negative environmental impact. Does this mean we have to stop celebrating Halloween? No! It just means we have to find environmentally friendlier ways to enjoy it.

Costumes:
Avoid buying new costumes. Instead: rent a costume, pass on your older costumes to someone else’s kids or have someone else’s kids pass down their costumes to your kids. You can also make new costumes out of old sheets, freecycled fabric or vintage clothing (your old clothes) still hanging in your closet. If you need homemade costume ideas go to here

Pumpkin
Organic pumpkins are the way to go. Carve it as you wish. Wash pumpkin seeds in water, spread out to dry on a screen or paper-towels, then place outside for animal treats or you can bake them at 300° with light seasoning and eat them yourself. When the Holiday is over add your pumpkin to your compost bin.

If you don’t already have one it’s a good time to start. Then add your pumpkins, your neighbors’ pumpkins (after asking them) and all your raked leaves and food scraps. Don’t have time to mess with a compost…give your pumpkin to a fellow composter. Or just sit your pumpkin outside with bird food inside and let them eat.

Bags and Baskets
Take out an old cloth bag (ex. rice bag), bucket, pillowcase or basket and decorate to match your kid’s costume. You can choose to leave the candy carrier plain too. Then reuse it for trick or treating. It’s that simple. Avoid using plastic bags. Aside from their negative eco-impact they can also tear or snag easily dropping all the hard earned candy inside. Reuse your bags next year, throughout the year, and for years to come.

Eco-friendly Candy
Believe it or not eco-candy does exist. Organic chocolates, cereal bars, organic lollipops, organic cookies, and organic "smooshed" fruit are all slowly but surely creeping into our everyday lives and just in time for Halloween. They are not only healthier than regular candy, but they are also environmentally friendlier. Find them at local organic groceries, health food stores or search for them online.

Buy treats that use as little packaging as possible or treats that use eco-friendly packaging. You can also take a chance and handout eco-friendly pencils, crayons, mini coloring books and other items of this nature. Maybe the kids will surprise you and appreciate it.

Walk or Drive?
The obvious eco-choice here is to walk. Don’t drive from house to house. Walk. Get some good exercise and leave a lighter carbon footprint as you do it. You can also try carpooling, riding your bike or trick-or treating at the mall.

Decorations
Consider using biodegradable bamboo dishes, biodegradable plastic dishes or your regular everyday dishes and then wash them with eco –friendly soap. Use recycled napkins or cloth napkins. Light up eco-friendly candles.

Pull out stored away decorations and mix them up with new ones you received through freecycling or the store. If you must buy decorations buy decorations made of recycled material. Reuse your decorations next year. Also try to use some of these decorations for other holidays through the year.

Litter
Remind your kids not to litter. Wrappers littering the streets are not only a sore sight and illegal, but are also not eco-friendly. Besides, as a precaution, your kids should wait to eat their candy only after you’ve checked it. There are some crazy people out there that like to hurt people. Take an extra bag, just in case you find wrappers already littering the streets.

Porch Light
Try a solar powered light this year to light up your porch. Or make sure to switch your porch light bulb to a CFL bulb, if you haven’t already done so.

Battery Operated
If you are using a Halloween decoration that needs batteries, like a moving hand in a candy bowl, use rechargeable batteries to keep it going.

Halloween Party Invitations
If you are having a party send out E-vites. If e-vites is too impersonal for you invitations made of recycled paper will work too.

There are plenty more ways to be have a green Halloween. What Halloween eco-tips do you have? Share them with us.