Have fun this Halloween season while keeping the environment in mind. Here are a few tips to consider as you prepare for your Halloween festivities:   1. Show your Halloween spirit with durable, reusable, and recyclable decorations.

• Choose decorations that you can use year after year.
• For recyclable decorations, look for plastics that are #1-5 or #7, as #6 and unlabeled plastics are not recyclable. Avoid metallic or glitter-coated decorations, as these cannot be recycled. Questions? Check out icgov.org/recycle.

  . Create an eco-friendly costume.

• Get creative with what you already have around the house to create a costume.
• Share costumes with friends.
• Shop secondhand. Check out our great selection of local secondhand and consignment stores for costumes.

  3. Offer sustainable treats.

• Consider candy options with less packaging, organic or Fairtrade status. Alternatively, offer a treat other than candy.
• Sometimes individually-wrapped candy is the easiest and safest option. In this case, you can still make a difference by recycling the candy wrappers through Terracycle. Connect with your neighbors to fill up a box to send to Terracycle.

  4. For trick-or-treating, collect your candy and treats in a reusable or durable option.

• Consider a reusable cloth bag, pillow case, or wicker basket (among many other options) to carry your candy around while trick-or-treating.

  5. When the festivities end, remember to compost your pumpkins and gourds.

• To compost at the curb, remove any candles or lights from inside your pumpkin and place it in your organics container (City cart, or personal 20-35 gallon upright container), or in a paper yard waste bag, and then set it at the curb by 7 a.m. for collection on your normal service day.
• Residents can also take pumpkins to the Iowa City Landfill's compost facility to be composted at no charge.