Local Community Involvement

Green Halloween Ideas

This season, Waste Management reminds its customers to save money and Think Green® by avoiding traditional Halloween routines - that usually result in waste - in favor of recyclable, eco-friendly habits.

• Use the whole pumpkin: Most everyone buys a pumpkin to celebrate the holiday and ends up tossing it in the trash on Nov. 1. However, avoiding that waste is easy by using the pumpkin both for food and decoration. It’s easy to bake the seeds with a little bit of salt for a tasty and healthy snack; or, puree the freshly cutout pieces for recipes that call for fresh pumpkin – avoiding canned pumpkin. All other parts of the pumpkin can be added to your compost pile.


• Skip the expensive plastic costumes: Put less stress on your wallet by opting for costumes made of reusable or recycled materials. Incite your family’s creativity by constructing a unique, exciting costume from scratch. Check out the thrift store for some easy-to-do ideas like a flapper or a gypsy.


• Use recyclable bags for your Trick-or-Treaters: A fun family activity is to create a unique Trick-or-Treat basket, or simply put a reusable bag to good use. Avoiding the plastic Jack-O-Lantern type containers will avoid clutter, save money, and add a dash of originality to your Trick-or-Treaters’ costume.


• Candy Options Are Out There: When stocking up for the Oct. 31, look for candy brands that donate part of their profits to environmental causes; Fair Trade-sourced chocolates; or sweets made with pure cane sugar, fruit juice, and natural colors. If you're skipping candy for health reasons, try handing out small toys, pencils, or soy crayons. And buy in bulk to avoid the packaging waste.


• DIY Decorations: Making your own decorations provides yet another money-saving, green-going opportunity. Must-haves like plastic spiders, witches and ghosts can be a one-time purchase saved for use, year after year. When possible, look for reclaimed material; if you’re buying things you know you can't keep - like streamers or paper plates - be sure to look for brands that are both recycled and recyclable. Click here to view examples on how to create DIY Halloween decorations.

Recycling Innovation

This “Crowd Pleaser” Port-O-Let was headed for the landfill, but employees at the 7th Avenue Transfer Station in Phoenix had something else in mind—they renovated the entire building to make a fully functional scale house. Talk about thinking outside the box…

CASS Charity Event
The WMAZ team came out in full force to help the homeless over the holidays. More than a hundred volunteers and family members volunteered on Thanksgiving Day to help the residents of the Central Arizona Shelter Services Vista Colina family shelter. The volunteers served turkey dinner, and staffed several craft stations for the kids.

Marana Food Drive
The WM Southern Arizona team stepped up this year when they heard about a food shortage at the Marana Food Bank. The team launched the “Pound For Pound” challenge—for every pound of food donated, WMAZ also donated a pound. In all, we raised more than 20,000 pounds of food.

Habitat for Humanity Green Build
Waste Management teamed up with Habitat for Humanity this fall to help build Habitat’s first “Green Build” in Glendale. The home was built over a two-week period. WMAZ provided Port-O-Lets and recycling services that helped Habitat achieve LEED certification for the home. The house was built with environmentally-friendly technology, which will save the new homeowners money on their energy bills.