The 13 Best Eco-Friendly Halloween Treats
Halloween is always a fun holiday — until you think about all the environmental harm that comes from those Halloween treats you hand out to trick-or-treaters. Fortunately, there are a variety of eco-friendly Halloween treats you can give that are better for the environment and your trick-or-treaters will love.
Before trick-or-treat night rolls around this year, learn more about the best eco-friendly Halloween treats you can hand out that will please every witch, goblin, and superhero in your neighborhood.
Celebrating an Eco-Friendly Halloween
Whether it’s waste from candy wrapped in individual pieces of plastic or the dangers from pesticides and other chemicals used to grow ingredients to make candy, the treats you hand out on Halloween can have some pretty scary negative impacts on the environment.
If you’re looking to have an eco-friendly Halloween and you’ve already put together your DIY Halloween costume, your next step is to get some eco-friendly Halloween treats to hand out to all of your trick-or-treaters.
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In an ideal world, you’d be able to purchase eco-friendly Halloween treats that are organic, sustainably harvested, made using Fair Trade practices, AND packaged in easily recyclable materials. Of course, we don’t live in a perfect world.
If you’re hosting a Halloween party and personally know everyone you’re giving treats to, you can make your own treats to ensure the ingredients are safe and healthy and there’s no packaging to worry about.
However, if you’re handing out treats to kids who come to your door, you’ll need to choose something that’s packaged to ensure there’s no unnecessary food waste. As a parent, I can tell that anything not in a package will get thrown away for safety reasons.
Therefore, you might have to make some compromises when purchasing your treats. For example, while some of these treats are made using Fair Trade practices and organic ingredients, they might come in plastic wrapping.
On the other hand, while some might come in easily recyclable packaging, they might not be made with Fair Trade ingredients.
That being said, we did our best to find the most eco-friendly Halloween candy options possible. Now you can rest easy knowing the treats you’re handing out are better for the environment and the children.
Plus, we even included a few non-candy options if you would prefer to give out something healthier for Halloween!
Recycling Candy and Snack Wrappers
Some waste around Halloween is unavoidable. After all, we have to have individually wrapped candies to keep them safe to eat.
But instead of just throwing those wrappers away, one unique way you can have a zero waste Halloween is by getting a TerraCycle box for candy and snack wrappers. Simply collect candy wrappers in your TerraCycle box, ship it to them for free, and they’ll safely and sustainably recycle the wrappers.
The TerraCycle Box can accept individual, multi-pack, and family-size snack bags and wrappers, including candy, chip, and granola wrappers.
1. Endangered Species Chocolate
Endangered Species chocolate bars are my favorite treats to turn to when I need something sweet because they’re some of the best eco-friendly and Fair Trade chocolate. They’re made with ethically traded and sustainably grown cocoa, free of GMOs, and a portion of the profits help support wildlife conservation efforts.
Of course, as much as kids in my neighborhood would love it, handing out large chocolate bars for Halloween isn’t exactly financially feasible.
That’s why I’m so happy that the company also offers Endangered Species Chocolate Bites. These individually wrapped chocolate squares are made with the same sustainable and environmentally friendly practices as the large bars.
A portion of the net profits also go toward supporting conservation efforts. Plus, the back of each package comes with an educational and fun fact about the endangered species.
2. Equal Exchange Chocolates
Equal Exchange chocolates are another excellent option for Fair Trade chocolates made with organic ingredients and cacao sourced from democratic co-ops. These worker-owned co-ops benefit small-scale farmers in Latin America and ensure an equitable supply chain.
Once again, you can find a variety of large bars in flavors that are popular with both kids and adults. If large chocolate bars aren’t feasible because you’re handing out a lot of candy, you can also pick up a box of their chocolate minis.
These boxes come with bite-sized fairly traded chocolates made using organic cacao and other organic ingredients.
3. Glee Gum
Glee Gum is an excellent choice if you’re looking for eco-friendly Halloween candy that’s environmentally and socially responsible.
The gum is made using sustainably harvested chicle (tree sap) instead of a synthetic mix of materials and plastics. The ingredients are also Non-GMO Project Verified and don’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives.
The company that makes Glee Gum works in a solar-powered building and is committed to environmental and social justice. Plus, the gum comes in cardboard packaging that’s easy to recycle.
With nine delicious flavors that include bubblegum, mixed berry, tangerine, peppermint, cinnamon, spearmint, sugar-free lemon-lime, sugar-free refresh-mint, and sugar-free wild watermelon, you’re sure to find something that everyone will love.
4. YumEarth Organic Lollipops
If you tend to get a lot of trick or treaters at your door, a bulk bag of YumEarth Organic Lollipops is a fantastic option that’s very affordable. These lollipops are USDA Organic, gluten-free, vegan, kosher, Non-GMO Project Verified, dairy-free, and nut-free.
They also don’t contain any high fructose corn syrup or any artificial colors or flavors. Instead, they’re flavored and colored with real fruit juice.
Plus, they’re allergy friendly since they don’t contain any common food allergy ingredients and they’re manufactured and packaged in a peanut-free and tree nut-free facility.
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5. YumEarth Organic Fruit Snacks
Another excellent option from YumEarth are these YumEarth Organic Fruit Snacks. Just like the lollipops, the fruit snacks are vegan, USDA Organic, gluten-free, Non-GMO Project Verified, made without artificial flavors or colors, and free from the top 8 food allergens.
In addition to the fruit flavored snacks that include Banana Blast, Strawberry Smash, Perfectly Peach, and Very, Very Cherry, you can also get the tropical flavored fruit snacks. This option comes with Playful Pineapple, Razzmatazz Berry, and Mango Tango.
With so many fresh and delicious flavors available, you know everyone will love these safe, allergy friendly snacks! Plus, don’t forget, when Easter rolls around, these fruit snacks make outstanding sustainable Easter egg fillers.
6. Unreal Candy
The idea for Unreal Candy was created on Halloween when two brothers asked themselves why candy had to be so bad for us. So it’s only fitting that it’s now one of the best eco-friendly Halloween treats!
For times when you want to hand out candy, but you’re interested in something that offers a little less sugar than traditional candy bars, Unreal Candy is the perfect choice.
These candies are vegan and gluten-free. They’re also made using Non-GMO Project Verified, Fair Trade certified, and sustainable ingredients.
Plus, since the company doesn’t use sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners, some candies have as little as 3 grams of sugar per piece!
7. YumEarth Gummy Bears
If you’d rather hand out fruity snacks instead of candy, YumEarth Gummy Bears are a fantastic option. Instead of using high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes and flavors, these individually wrapped gummy bear packs are colored and flavored with real fruit and vegetable juices.
They’re also vegan, gluten-free, and made with non-GMO and USDA organic ingredients.
Additionally, they’re safe for all kids since they don’t contain any common food allergy ingredients and they’re manufactured and packaged in a peanut-free and tree nut-free facility.
8. Cascadian Farm Granola Bars
For a healthier treat this Halloween, consider handing out these Cascadian Farm Chewy Granola Bars. These granola bars are made with USDA organic and non-GMO ingredients. They also have no artificial colors or flavors.
The Fair Trade chocolate gives the granola bars the perfect touch of sweetness. Plus, the 11 grams of whole grain provide some important nutrition.
Plus, by supporting Cascadian Farm, you’re also helping to support projects like Cascading Change. With Cascading Change, Cascadian Farm is partnering with The Nature Conservancy to protect natural resources like groundwater and wildlife habitats to help farms become more resilient and sustainable.
9. Fresh Fruit
Instead of handing out candy, you can give out fresh fruit as a sweet treat. This obviously works best with fruit that already has its own protective skin.
One fun option that’s perfect for Halloween is a mandarin orange. Not only are they sweet and easy to eat, but you can also draw fun jack-o-lantern faces on the skin!
Plus, when kids are done enjoying their fruit, they can toss the skins in a compost pile for a zero waste Halloween treat.
10. Alter Eco
For a slightly indulgent Halloween treat, consider Alter Eco chocolates. While these candies are sweet and delicious, they also offer plenty of impressive sustainable benefits.
They’re made with Fair Trade, organic, and non-GMO ingredients. They also don’t contain any soy, corn, or gluten ingredients. To ensure these chocolates are delectable yet better for you, they don’t have any artificial sweeteners, refined sugars, or additives.
The co-ops that grow the ingredients for Alter Eco practice dynamic agroforestry. With this method, farms try to mimic the natural layout of a forest to improve the overall well-being of the land.
All of their products are sourced directly from small-scale farmers. Plus, the company itself is committed to reforestation and carbon neutrality practices.
To top it all off, the candies even come packaged in recyclable packaging and wrapped in compostable wrappers.
With so many awesome truffle flavors available, you can easily find something everyone will love.
11. Temporary Tattoos
If you don’t want to hand out food treats, or you’re participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project, temporary Halloween tattoos are an excellent option.
If you’re not familiar with the Teal Pumpkin Project, it’s a movement to hand out non-food treats to make Halloween safe and inclusive for all children. And it’s near and dear to my heart.
My son has an egg and peanut allergy, which makes trick-or-treating a bit… well… tricky. When he gets home, we go through his haul like every other parent. But we have to remove candies that are literally life-threatening, and it often leaves him with very little to enjoy.
With the Teal Pumpkin Project, you place a teal pumpkin on your porch to let trick-or-treaters know you have non-food goodies available.
These temporary tattoos are an excellent eco-friendly option for the Teal Pumpkin Project because they’re made with non-toxic ink. Plus, kids always have fun putting on temporary tattoos.
If you’re interested in participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project, you can get a 140-piece kit that comes with everything you need. Or you can check out this list of the best Teal Pumpkin treats to find even more fun and affordable ideas.
12. Pencils and Erasers
Halloween pencils and Halloween erasers are other excellent non-food options you can consider for your eco-friendly Halloween treats.
The great thing about pencils and erasers is that they’re something kids can actually use, especially if they’re currently in school. Plus, they come in fun designs that kids will enjoy.
13. Mini Boxed Candy
If you’re interested in handing out eco-friendly Halloween treats that are a little more traditional, look for companies that package their candy in individual mini boxes instead of plastic wrapping.
Junior Mints sells mini boxes that are great for handing out at Halloween. Since they’re peanut- and gluten-free, they’re also a good option if you’re trying to avoid common food allergies.
Additionally, Milk Duds sells their caramel and chocolate treats in mini boxes.
The great thing about cardboard boxes is that they’re much easier to recycle when they’re empty!
Exciting Eco-Friendly Halloween Treats
Your trick-or-treat night doesn’t have to produce a ton of excess waste. Instead, you can enjoy a more sustainable holiday that’s better for the environment and safer for the children when you choose to hand out some of these best eco-friendly Halloween treats.
More Eco-Friendly Holiday Tips
Now that you see how easy it is to get eco-friendly Halloween treats, are you ready to make all of your holidays more sustainable? Then be sure to check out some of our other popular posts:
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