Tips for celebrating a greener Halloween

Posted On October 11, 2025

In Low Impact Living

There are lots of ways to reduce the impact of Halloween. Here are just a few:

Avoid single-use decorations. Find fun eco-ideas here.
Never use spider webbing outside as it traps birds, pollinators and small animals.
Help your kids make rather than buy costumes. Get DIY ideas here.
Recycle old Halloween costumes. Details here.
If hosting a party, avoid single-use tableware and decorations.
Talk to your kids about not littering candy wrappers.
Use the Hefty ReNew Program for candy wrappers.
Compost your pumpkins by bringing them to the Village Hall or Centennial parking lots in early November. Check our calendar for actual dates.
Not from Wilmette? Click here for “pumpkins smashes” near you – and great reasons why those pumpkins should not end up in a landfill.

You can find more great green Halloween tips here.

For more tips, our colleagues at SWANCC have come up with a great list of tips for a Green Halloween. See them here.

The World Wildlife Fund also has a list for greener Halloween tips – see them HERE

New LED lights use a fraction of the energy of older holiday lights. Upgrade to energy-efficient lights this year and drop off old or broken lights at the Village’s Public Works facility for recycling. The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) and its member communities are offering a Holiday Light Recycling Program, free of charge, for all SWANCC area residents.

Where: Wilmette Public Works, 711 Laramie Ave.
When: 24-hour drop-off outside in the front parking lot through Jan. 31
Contact: (847) 853-7500