We’ve all spent Halloween night dressed up as our favorite super hero or television character in a quest for the ultimate treat: a bag full of candy. But with so many people participating in the tradition of trick-or-treating, it’s crucial that everyone do their part to approach trick-or-treating in an eco-friendly way.

As a result, here’s eight ways to green your trick-or-treating this year. It may not end up netting you more candy, but the results will be just as sweet as far as the environment is concerned.

1. Hand Out Recyclables

Most trick-or-treaters will expect traditional candy when they come to your door, but there are great treats that come in recyclable packaging as well. Kids love soda, so how about handing out soft drinks in aluminum cans? Some candies come in cardboard boxes (think movie theater snacks), which can be included in paper recycling.

Another option is to distribute candy that doesn’t come in wrappers, like that Halloween tradition candy corn. While it’s not as popular as the individually wrapped candy, it is better for the environment.

2. Reuse Those Wrappers

Candy wrappers are a recycling enigma, as they fall in a category of not quite aluminum foil or paper, not quite recyclable plastic. So while for health reasons the safest candy to hand out is individually wrapped, this doesn’t bode well for the environment. But even though candy wrappers are tough to recycle, that doesn’t mean they belong in the trash.

When you’re done eating the candy, find a productive way to reuse the wrappers. A common use these days is in art and fashion, perhaps by making a candy wrapper purse. Some wrappers also have comics you can save; or use the oversized letters to build a collage. There are numerous ways to reuse a candy wrapper, and only one way to throw it in the trash.

3. Contain Your Candy

Your candy may come in difficult-to-recycle wrappers, but what about the bag you keep it in. There’s plenty of eco-friendly options that will be recyclable, made of recycled products or reusable. You can use everything from a grocery store paper bag to a reusable container for (canvas bags are very durable). Make sure you recycle plastic bags using Earth 911 if you go that route.

4. Evaluate Your Costume

There’s plenty of options for a green Halloween costume, which makes sense when you consider that Halloween costumes end up getting about as much use as a wedding dress. The bright side is that while your wedding day will happen once in a lifetime, Halloween is an annual tradition.

For guys, it is much easier to reuse the same costume for multiple years (this author went as Where’s Waldo for three years straight). But even if you don’t feel like wearing the same costume in consecutive years, you can reuse certain parts later. A cowboy costume can produce the hat for a country western singer, and a Rockette outfit can translate to a cheerleader costume with minimal alterations.

5. Make a Day of Trick-or-Treating

The nice thing about a holiday in late October is that you are close enough to summertime that early evening trick-or-treating will still be during daylight. Not only is trick-or-treating while it’s light out a safer activity, but you’ll be consuming less energy on streetlights and car headlights. While the haunted houses might be less scary when it’s not dark out, your friend the environment will thank you.

6. Walk the Neighborhood

So you may have heard that the best candy can be found five miles from your house, but what is available in your local neighborhood? If you map out a five-block radius around your house, not only will you still hit a bunch of houses but you can walk for it all. This will reduce the carbon emissions that would result from driving around for candy.

7. Embrace the Darkness

For those who like trick-or-treating and entertaining trick-or-treaters at night, the beauty of a scary holiday is that it is made for energy conservation. If there’s one day of the year where you don’t want to crank lots of lights in your house, it’s on Halloween. Rely on portable lighting such as glow sticks, flashlights and blacklights, which will conserve energy while also setting a scary mood for the night.

8. Save Your Leftovers

So chances are if you’ve purchased candy for trick-or-treaters, you’re going to end up with leftovers after the fact. But let’s say you’re on a pre-Thanksgiving diet and can’t handle those extra calories. Instead of tossing out those mini-Snickers, donate them to a food-related charity for reuse.

You can donate candy to organizations ranging from UNICEF to Meals on Wheels, which will provide an extra treat for those in need during the holidays.

This story is part of Earth 911’s “Green Eight” series, where we showcase eight ways to green your life in various areas. Click here to see Earth 911’s “Green Eight” archive.