We all know the 3R’s – Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.

But applying them to Halloween? Might not seem so obvious.

We’ll make it easy -

Here are three simple ways to put the 3R’s into your holiday.

Reduce – Instead of handing out handfuls of candy to each little ghost and goblin, consider giving just one of something.

You’ll save money and your decision will likely be better for the health the children who come to your door (since they’ll consume less) and for the planet since fewer resources will go into the making, packaging, transporting and/or disposal of the treat. Reducing can be applied to all of your holiday choices. And if you have reason to be concerned that your guests, kids, neighbors or husband will get scary on you when you announce your new plan to cut back on behalf of kids and the planet?

Try reducing by just 25%. Chances are, no one will notice but you and your Mother Earth.

Reuse – Halloween could be the poster child for reusing.

Nearly every aspect of the holiday can be celebrated in style without buying a single thing new. So don’t rush out to buy costumes, décor and party games.

Instead, stop and think. What can be reused or repurposed to make this holiday a smash hit without costing the planet?

Rent, borrow, swap or construct costumes from existing materials (making Halloween costumes from scratch can increase the fun factor, too), and keep your lawn ghouls and orange LED lights year after year. You might get tired of seeing them, but guaranteed, you’re building a tradition – one the kids in your home and neighborhood will remember.

You wouldn’t want to mess with good memory making, now, would you?

Recycle – The best way to utilize the third and final R is to first, choose items that are made from recycled content instead of buying products made from raw or virgin materials. When the product you’ve bought or acquired can no longer be used, it should be recycled.

Recycling can happen in many ways such as through your waste management company, your compost pile (yes, most food can be recycled) or through your own creativity. Breathe new life into your husband’s old flannel shirt and jeans, for example, by recycling them into a scarecrow for your front porch or a costume for your ten-year-old.

And no matter what, always, always, compost made-by-nature Halloween décor such as wilting pumpkins and gourds instead of throwing them in the trash. Uneaten Halloween candy can also be “recycled” just be sure to remove the wrappers first.

p.s. We think “Reduce, Reuse & Recycle” would make a great group costume for three siblings or friends! What are your ideas for think-out-side the box, green-themed costumes?

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

Halloween has come and gone. Time to put away all the decorations and save your costumes for next year’s costume swap.

The only obstacle standing is the heap of leftover candy. What do you do with it? Better yet, what can you do?

Instead of just tossing, or keeping around to consume, we’ve prepared a list of unusual ways to reuse and recycle unwanted sweets.

1. Compost

Instead of tossing Halloween treats in the trash, why not “recycle” by composting? If you have curbside yardwaste/food composting, just unwrap candy and toss in the bin. If you have an off-the ground compost bin, you can also include leftovers there. Composting candy in a ground-heap compost may attract pests, so another idea is to push pieces, one at a time, into the soil of houseplants.

For additional information, check out these these resources. Happy composting!

2. Halloween candy buy back

Did you know there’s a program that actually buys YOUR leftover candies and uses them in care packages for oversea soldiers? What a great idea! It’s called Halloween candy buy back and they provide the candy for Operation Gratitude. If you have the leftover candy to spare, why not register with them and make someone else’s life a little sweeter?

Operation Gratitude received and shipped out 60 tons of candy last year and is hoping to be able to ship 60,000 care packages this year. Check out their fantastic video if you’re still not convinced!

3. Candy experiments

(Loralee of CandyExperiments.com has kindly agreed to writing a (forthcoming) guest post for our blog but we’ve decided to include her in this post anyway!) You might wonder, what could candy experiments possibly mean? Well, it sounds exactly as it is! Making experiments with candy. This provides a fun activity for everyone in your household and who doesn’t love a little science experiment? Grab your flasks and goggles folks because you never know what chemical reactions will result in mixing these candies together! Have fun!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.