Oct Newsletter
Wishing You a Happy Now and Later Halloween
By Elizabeth Melville
Messy and creative is how I remember the Halloween season when my kids were growing up. Much of October I would pick up clothes taken from closets and our dress-up bin lying scattered through the house, wipe off sticky remnants of pumpkin guts after Jack O'Lantern carving parties, and find little scraps of paper, glue sticks, and scissors in different corners in the living room, the bedrooms, and even the bathrooms. Everyone was busy making something.
But our holiday costumes and decorations were not all handmade. I bought plastic swords, glittering wings, funky hats, and plastic capes to complete ensembles. And when the big night came, my little gluttons would eagerly go trick-or-treating to gather as much plastic-wrapped candy as possible.
I gave little thought to what happened once Halloween was over. I didn't question where our unwanted costumes and decorations went after giving them to the thrift store. I didn't know what we did with our droopy Jack O'Lanters mattered. All I knew for sure was that I wanted to tamp down the mess and chaos that had descended in my life.
We were typical Americans, enjoying the holidays with little knowledge or concern about the impacts of our actions. We were not thinking about the millions of pounds of oil-based costumes and decorations that are dumped in the landfill each season, where they sit for hundreds, if not thousands of years, breaking down into microplastics that pollute our air, water, and soil. We didn't know that our pumpkins would join over a billion pounds of other pumpkins in landfills across the United States. And we had no idea that pumpkins, like all food waste, when left to decompose in a garbage dump without oxygen, create methane gas, a major contributor to global warming.
These are spooky consequences, but unnecessary ones. The spirit of Halloween does not require consumption and waste. Some of our best Halloween traditions include creating unique outfits and decorations from used and second-hand clothing and odds and ends around the house, holding gatherings to carve pumpkins, and opening our doors to give treats to neighborhood children as they run wild through the night.
Taking just a little time to make small changes can lead to a more imaginative and original holiday that does not leave scars on the earth for our tomorrows.
Below are a few ideas:
Keep costumes and accessories in a dress-up bin for year-round fun.
Borrow and swap holiday decorations and outfits from friends or buy them used at a second-hand store.
Put your pumpkins in a green bin or compost them. Contact your city councilperson and ask them to set up a post-Halloween pumpkin pick-up, much like what the City of Spokane does after Christmas for Christmas trees.
Give out candy that doesn't come in plastic wrappers. Think Milk Duds, Nerds, Junior Mints, or chocolates wrapped in foil.
Make your own decorations. Spider webs, bats, and ghosts can be made from scrap paper.
Make creating costumes a family tradition. Sheets can make ghosts, scrap paper and cardboard can make animal ears and tails, and a plaid shirt and a pair of boots can conjure up the image of a lumberjack.
And when doing the right thing seems too hard, it is important to think about the people we love and the dreams we have for them. My young adult children, who once put together outfits to be Peter Pan, a giant pumpkin, and a ghost, have their whole lives ahead of them; they love hiking in the mountains, camping in the woods, and swimming in the ocean. No memory of a special costume, a spiderweb-covered house, or an overflowing bucket of candy can begin to replace the natural spaces they hold dear.
I hope we can look to the future when we decide how to celebrate this season. I hope we can remember that making small changes to our rituals can lead to the preservation of a better tomorrow. Our children, all of us, deserve this.
The Great Pumpkin Pickup… Urge your Council Members
By Elizabeth Melville
Interested in reducing pumpkin waste in the City of Spokane? Copy the letter below and use this online portal to send your letter to your council person about a pumpkin pick up.
Subject: Reducing Organic Waste
I am hopeful that the city of Spokane will create a system for collecting pumpkins after Halloween. Not everyone has a green bin.
Could the city provide a one time pumpkin pick-up after Halloween? The service could be modeled after the current Christmas trees collection service.
Here are a few reasons why this matters:
Each year, over a billion pounds of Halloween pumpkins end up in US landfills, where they decompose without oxygen, creating methane gas, a major contributor to global warming.
Spokane County and the city of Spokane both need to comply with Washington State's Organics Matter Law, which was passed in 2022 and updated in 2024. Creating these kinds of systems will be necessary for compliance by 2027.
Thank you for your consideration. I would appreciate a response.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Haunt Responsibly: How to Host a Zero Waste Halloween Costume Swap
By Rebecca Fulton
This Halloween, celebrate sustainably with a Halloween Costume Swap! It’s a fun, affordable way to refresh your look and that of your kids, while keeping perfectly good costumes out of the landfill.
Invite a bunch of friends, family, or kids in the neighborhood to dig out their “used” costumes and accessories, clean them up and bring them to swap.
To make the event festive, add a few creative touches—a DIY accessory station, a photo booth, or some pumpkin treats. Encourage participants to share photos of what they’re bringing and spread the word on social media to build excitement.
At the end of the swap, donate any leftover costumes so nothing goes to waste.
Hosting a costume swap is more than just trading outfits—it’s about building community, saving money, and proving that sustainability can be spooky fun!
Why You Should Rake Leaves Into Compost, Not Bags
By Rebecca Fulton
When autumn leaves start piling up, it might be tempting to bag them and send them away — but those leaves are actually nature’s free fertilizer! Bagging them creates unnecessary waste, while composting or mulching them helps your garden and the planet.
Here’s why it matters:
Feed your soil: Leaves are rich in nutrients and carbon, the perfect ingredient for compost. Shredded or layered leaves improve soil texture, retain moisture, and support healthy microbes.
Support wildlife: A layer of leaves provides winter shelter for beneficial insects, pollinators, and other small creatures that help your garden thrive in spring.
Save time and money: No need for plastic bags, yard waste pickup, or store-bought mulch — your trees have already done the work!
Reduce landfill (if your area uses a landfill) waste: Yard debris makes up a large portion of municipal waste. When leaves end up in plastic bags at the landfill, they break down without oxygen and release methane — a potent greenhouse gas.
In Spokane: those plastic bagged leaves will be treated as garbage, not green waste. So, if you can’t use those leaves, please put them in your green bin without a bag so they can be composted as a part of the Diversion program to reduce waste and help the city manage waste from our growing population.
The best solution this Fall, is rake your leaves into a compost pile, garden bed, or mulching mower instead of into a bag. Nature knows what to do with them.
Tis (Almost) the Season — Plan a Waste-Free Holiday Season!
By Rebecca Fulton
The holidays may feel far away, but October is the perfect time to start planning for a more intentional — and less wasteful — holiday season. By thinking ahead, you can reduce stress, save money, and make your celebrations kinder to the planet. Here’s SIX IDEAS on how to start now for Zero Waste Holidays later.
1. Rethink Gifts
Skip the last-minute shopping rush and focus on thoughtful, low-impact giving. Consider homemade treats, experiences, or secondhand treasures artfully updated instead of new products wrapped in plastic. Handmade crafts, baked goods, or even an afternoon spent together can mean more than something store-bought. For physical gifts, choose durable, repairable items from local businesses or artisans.
2. Plan for Reuse
Start collecting reusable wrapping now — fabric, scarves, newspaper comics, or last year’s gift bags. You can also make reusable cloth gift wraps or furoshiki wraps. Keep an eye out for tins, jars, and baskets at thrift stores for creative, waste-free packaging. Another option is to support SZWs waste free solutions, we’ll have reusable gift bags for sale at the October 25th 33 Artists Market a The Hive
3. Decorate Naturally
Before buying new decor, see what you can make or reuse. Pinecones, branches, and dried oranges make beautiful, compostable decorations. Swap plastic lights and garland for LED strands and handmade ornaments. A simple, nature-inspired approach is truly festive — and far more sustainable. Check for local artist led classes on wreath making and other decorative creations.
4. Plan a Zero Waste Gathering
If you’re hosting, ditch disposable plates and cutlery. Borrow extra dishware from friends or use thrifted pieces for a charming, eclectic table. Encourage guests to bring reusable containers for leftovers. Compost food scraps instead of tossing them out — your future garden will thank you!
5. Give Back, Not Waste
The holidays are also about community and generosity. Support local charities, volunteer, or host a small donation drive in place of traditional gift exchanges. Shifting the focus from “stuff” to connection helps make the season more meaningful for everyone.
6. Start Small, Start Now
By making small changes now, you’ll be ready for a holiday season that’s less about excess and more about joy, creativity, and connection. A Zero Waste Holiday doesn’t mean giving up traditions — it means celebrating them in a way that’s sustainable, thoughtful, and full of heart.
Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini
By Elizabeth Melville
"Don't leave your car windows open and walk away, or you might find your seats full of zucchini when you come back," was a joke in the small town where I used to live.
Last week, when I was at Trader Joe's, zucchini was selling for $1.29 each. At Safeway, they cost $2.29 a pound. I thought it would be a good time to visit some friends from my old small town and leave my windows down. I might get rich.
In the hopes that the zucchini god has blessed you, I am sharing some ideas on how to use this wonder squash.
If you want to eat them, the options are endless:
Make a stir fry.
Add them to soup.
Bake a squash cake.
Fry it like hash browns.
Do what my mother did, and sneak it into smoothies, casseroles, and brownies.
If you never want to eat another zucchini again, you can:
Leave them on a neighbor's porch.
Take them to a vegetable exchange (Spokane library has one), or your local foodbank.
Put them in your green bin or in a compost pile.
If you want to be creative, you could:
Hold a zucchini carving and smashing party.
Invite people to a zucchini hunt, much like an Easter egg hunt, and then, only after the game is over, announce that all zucchinis found must go home with the finder.
Lastly, remember, when you use your zucchinis, pumpkins, or other excess food, you are doing everyone a service. Food waste sent to landfills creates about 10 percent of the world's greenhouse gases and wastes valuable water and soil.
Recipe for Pumpkin (or Zucchini Bread)
This recipe is from How Can This Be Gluten-Free Cookbook for Pumpkin Bread.
I have listed many substitutes. Using what you have rather than running to the store to get a specific ingredient is a first step towards reducing waste:
Ingredients:
1¼ cup of gluten-free flour with xanthan gum (wheat flour is also OK)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup of pumpkin puree (or zucchini and summer squash put through the food processor)
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
½ cup granulated sugar
½ packed brown sugar
¼ vegetable oil
2 ounces cream cheese
2 large eggs
½ walnuts, chopped fine
2 Tbs. buttermilk (or milk)
Step by Step:
Heat the oven to 350, grease one loaf pan, and mix the flour and spices together.
Combine pumpkin (or zucchini that has been through the food processor), and spices, and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Off the heat, add the sugar, oil, and cream cheese. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then whisk till smooth.
Whisk together eggs and buttermilk in a separate bowl. Add egg to cooled pumpkin mixture and combine until no lumps remain. Add nuts.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool before serving.
Enjoy. Happy Fall!
Partner Spotlight: Levine Impact Lab
Huge Thank you for supporting us!
We’re excited to celebrate our partnership with Levine Impact Lab, whose support has been key in helping Spokane Zero Waste grow and thrive. Through their insightful fundraising webinars and connections to experienced advisors, they’ve equipped us with practical tools to strengthen our strategy, expand our reach, and build long-term resilience as a nonprofit.
Levine Impact Lab’s dedication to empowering grassroots organizations like ours reminds us that lasting change begins with collaboration and shared purpose.
A huge thank-you to the entire Levine Impact Lab team for believing in our mission and investing in our success!
“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of silver and gold.”
