Halloween is supposed to be frightening, but perhaps the scariest thing about 31st October isn't the ghosts, skeletons, or even children hammering on the door, demanding sweets. It's the huge amount of waste we produce in the name of spooky fun. Plastic costumes worn once, discarded pumpkins, disposable decorations and mountains of sweet wrappers, mean that Halloween has become an increasingly wasteful celebration in the UK. And as Halloween has grown into a major commercial event, its environmental impact has become harder to ignore.

So, just how big is the problem? Why has it got worse? And how can we enjoy Halloween without scaring Planet Earth to death?

A frightening amount of waste

Halloween might last just one evening, but the waste it generates can have an environmental impact lasting for years. Research published in 2024, commissioned by online marketplace Gumtree, estimated that 46 million Halloween-themed items are thrown away in the UK each year, including costumes, decorations, masks and disposable party supplies. The research also found that more than three-quarters of people buying Halloween items admitted to throwing at least some away after one use.

One of the biggest problems is the growing popularity of cheap, plastic-based products that are designed for a single occasion rather than repeated use.

And the worst offenders, probably unsurprisingly, are costumes. According to environmental charity Hubbub, an estimated seven million Halloween costumes are thrown away annually in the UK - they estimated that discarded Halloween costumes generate around 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year - equivalent in weight to approximately 83 million plastic bottles.

The same research found that 83% of the material used in the Halloween clothing and costumes surveyed was plastic-based, with polyester accounting for 69%. This is a nightmare because polyester is made from fossil fuels and can release tiny plastic fibres, known as microplastics, into the environment.

How has Halloween waste got worse?

Traditionally, Halloween in the UK was a relatively modest celebration (certainly compared to how it was celebrated in the USA). Back in the 1980s and 90s my childhood Halloween experience involved carving a pumpkin (very badly), dressing up in homemade costumes, with a quick bit trick-or-treating around the village. Here is an embarrassing photo of my sister and I dressed as witches in bin bags with paper hats - that year we begged mum to take us to the 'American' estate (an old RAF base) in the neighbouring town as they were known for embracing Halloween full on, whereas the village we grew up in, did not!

Today, Halloween has become a much bigger commercial occasion. During the summer retailers begin to sell everything from elaborate costumes and giant inflatable decorations to Halloween-themed bedding and home decor, and even pet outfits. According to research reported in The Times in 2024, annual UK Halloween spending had quadrupled over the previous decade to an estimated £1 billion.

This growing commercialisation has helped create three major environmental problems...

1) The rise of disposable fashion

Cheap Halloween costumes are often made from synthetic materials and designed to be worn only once. New characters, films and social media trends can also encourage people to buy a different costume each year rather than reuse an existing one. And of course children outgrow their costumes very quickly!

2) More plastic decorations

From artificial cobwebs to plastic skeletons and disposable tableware, Halloween decorations have become increasingly elaborate. Many products are inexpensive, difficult to recycle and easily damaged, making them more likely to be thrown away.

3) A culture of buying more than we need

Retail promotions, seasonal displays and online shopping make it easy to buy additional Halloween products on impulse. The result can be a growing collection of items that are used for only a few hours.

The terrifying problem of pumpkin waste

Pumpkins are probably the biggest symbol of Halloween. Around 30 million pumpkins are bought annually in the UK for Halloween - but over half are not eaten, which is an enormous waste of food, particularly during a cost of living crisis. And of course growing pumpkins requires land, water, energy and transport - so when they're discarded rather than eaten, those resources are wasted too.

Many people leave pumpkins out, thinking that they are good for wildlife - but sadly that is a dangerous misconception. Pumpkins cause numerous issues for wildlife...

• Fatal for hedgehogs - pumpkins act as a powerful laxative for hedgehogs, and eating them causes severe stomach upsets, diarrhoea, and dehydration. This also happens just before hibernation, making the loss of vital body weight and fluids even more dangerous.
• Toxic chemicals - carved pumpkins often contain wax, candle remnants, paint, glitter, etc - all of which can poison animals if eaten
• Attracts pests - leftover rotting flesh draws unwanted scavengers to woodlands, such as rats, and can actually lead to the spread of disease.
• Damages ecosystems - pumpkins are not a natural woodland plant, so as they slowly rot, they can negatively alter local soil composition, which affects plants and delicate fungi.

The frustrating thing is that pumpkins are edible! Pumpkin flesh can be used in soups, curries, pies, pasta sauces and roasted vegetable dishes - so we need to start thinking of them as food that happens to make an excellent Halloween display.

Sweet treats, plastic tricks

Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without sweets, but trick-or-treating also creates a significant packaging problem as most sweets and chocolates are individually wrapped in plastic - these tiny wrappers are difficult to recycle through normal household collections.

Halloween parties add another layer of waste, with disposable cups, plates, cutlery, balloons and plastic decorations often used for just a few hours. Individually, these items might seem insignificant. But across millions of households, their combined impact can be substantial.

How can we make Halloween less horrifying for the environment?

• Costumes: Trawl the charity shops for a secondhand bargain or make something using what you already have in your wardrobe (my daughter wears mainly black - easy cat costume!). Making costumes also encourages children to think creatively about reusing materials. A costume swap at school, work or in your local community is also a great idea.

• Pumpkins: Don't buy so many, but also try to use the left-over flesh in cooking; and then put it in the compost bin afterwards.
• Decorations: Re-use year after year or make your own, and check that they ones you are buying can be recycled
• Sweets: Buy treats that have minimal packaging or packaging that can be recycled.

There are some good signs that people want to reduce the environmental impact of Halloween...

• Hubbub's costume research found that 73% of respondents were happy to wear a second-hand costume from a friend or relative.
• More recent YouGov research in 2025 found that 42% of Halloween costume wearers surveyed said they would make their own outfit, while 31% considered charity shops as a source of costumes.

These findings suggest that reuse, creativity and second-hand shopping can all play an important role in reducing Halloween waste. But consumers shouldn't have to shoulder the responsibility alone - retailers could help by offering better quality costumes that are designed to last, reducing unnecessary packaging, promoting reusable decorations and making it easier for customers to choose lower-waste products.

Further reading

• Hubbub – Sew Spooky: Research on Halloween costume waste and plastic pollution.
• Fairyland Trust – Halloween Costumes and Plastic Report, 2021 Update: Analysis of synthetic materials in Halloween costumes.
• Hubbub – Eat Your Pumpkin: Advice on reducing pumpkin food waste.
• Hubbub – 10 Years of Pumpkins: UK pumpkin purchasing and food-waste estimates.
• YouGov – Halloween Spending and Shopping Trends 2025: Consumer behaviour and costume shopping.
• Savvy Marketing – Halloween Spending 2025: UK Halloween retail spending forecasts.
• The Times – Halloween Plastic Waste, 2024: Research into discarded Halloween products and the growth of seasonal spending.