Halloween is fast approaching, with wicked costumes, food and decorations flooding the shops. While most people love some ghostly fun, the impact that our Halloween activities can have on the environment is positively scary. This year, take a moment to think about how you can make this traditionally orange day a bit more green.

If you’re dressing up for Halloween, where are you getting your costume from? Shop-bought costumes can contain lots of plastic which often ends up discarded in the bin after just one wear. Instead of buying something new, why not borrow a costume from a friend or dress up as something you have the clothing for at home already? An old bed sheet can make for a positively ghoulish ghost costume, or use the sticks in your back garden to make a brilliant witch’s broom!

Spooky snacks are an unmissable part of any Halloween celebration. Creepy cupcakes and scary sweets are deliciously disturbing but can generate a distressing amount of plastic packaging waste. This year, try challenging yourself to make some homemade treats. BBC Good Food has a whole (g)host of Halloween recipes on their website, from treats for trick-or-treaters to punch for party-goers.

Halloween decorations can be an absolute haven for single use plastics. From blood-curdling bunting to petrifying plastic pumpkins, so many of these finishing touches can be deadly for our environment and local wildlife. Why not swap your single use bunting for some homemade fabric bunting using old t-shirts or dilapidated costumes, and swap your plastic pumpkins for the real deal. There will be pumpkin pie for everyone the next day!

With a bit of thought, there are a few simple steps you can take to make your Halloween a bit more eco-friendly this year. Whether you’ll be out trick-or-treating, going to a paranormal party, or hiding behind the blankets watching scary movies at home, make sure you play your part to help creep it green this Halloween.