5 Plastic-Free Halloween Treats

Halloween is all about the costumes, the cobwebs, the spooky ghosts, and of course, the treats. But those treats often come in plastic wrappers that end up on the streets, in landfills, and oceans.

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Fortunately, there are plenty of sustainable candy options that are easy on your wallet and add a sustainable touch to the holiday.

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Here are some plastic-free ideas to keep Halloween fun for the kids while being kinder to the planet:

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Boxed Candies

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A few classic candies like Dots, Nerds, and Junior Mints still come in recyclable mini cardboard boxes, making them an eco-friendly candy choice with no plastic waste. Many other candies, such as Smarties, M&Ms, Milk Duds, and Whoppers, also come in paper boxes.

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Bulk Candy

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If you can spend a bit of effort on packaging, go for bulk candy. Whole Foods offers great choices like chocolatey treats, jelly beans, and Swedish Fish. Get a mix of bulk candies and package them in mini paper bags using reusable muslin bags. You can also put them out in a bowl for trick-or-treaters.

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Foil Candy

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Some candies come wrapped in recyclable foil, which is a great eco-friendly Halloween treats option. The foil used to wrap chocolates is fully recyclable; just rinse off any chocolate residue, let it dry, and ball it up before recycling. Small, foil-wrapped treats are a great zero-waste option. Note that if the foil pops back to its original shape when crumpled, it's a non-recyclable plastic-foil composite.

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Paper-Wrapped Candies

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Pixy Sticks and Bits-O-Honey toffees wrapped in waxed paper are also great eco-friendly candy choices. Some mini chocolate bars, like the ones from Equal Exchange, also come wrapped in paper. Then, there are gum varieties such as Glee Gum that come without plastic packaging. Another sustainable candy option is to hand out paper sachets of hot chocolate mix, many of which taste like chocolate bars.

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Beverages

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Kids love sugary drinks, so handing out cans of soda made from recyclable aluminum could be an eco-friendly Halloween treat. Glass bottles of lemonade or iced tea are another option. You could offer healthier soda options like natural sodas or La Croix. Try buying sodas packaged in cardboard boxes instead of plastic rings.

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