🍂🎃 Spooky, Sustainable & Cosy!

October is all about making small changes that can make a big difference — from looking after wildlife and our neighbourhoods to cutting e-waste, wasting less food and having a greener Halloween. 👻

You don't need a garden, lots of money or special equipment to take part. Pick one challenge, a few, or all four — every little action counts!

🐾🐦 World Animal Day + World Migratory Bird Day

4 October + 10 October

October is a great time to notice the wildlife around us. World Migratory Bird Day's 2026 campaign is “Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!”, encouraging people to observe and record birds and help build our understanding of wildlife. (Hubbub)

🌟 SHOCKING FACT

Some migratory birds travel thousands of miles during their journeys, crossing countries and continents and relying on safe places to feed, rest and breed.

🐦 Your challenge: Become a Wildlife Watcher

Try one of these:

• Put out a shallow dish of fresh water for birds and insects.
• Spend 10 minutes watching wildlife around your home.
• Look for birds, insects, spiders, squirrels or other creatures.
• Put out a simple bird feeder if you have suitable space.
• Leave some flowers or seed heads standing for wildlife.
• Pick up litter in your local area.
• Take a photo of something wild you spot.

👧 Kids' Challenge: Wildlife Detectives

Can you spot:

🐦 A bird
🕷️ A spider or web
🐝 An insect
🍂 A colourful leaf
🌰 An acorn or conker
🌳 A tree being used by wildlife

Bonus: Draw your favourite wildlife discovery!

🌟 POSITIVE FACT

Millions of people around the world contribute bird observations, helping scientists understand bird populations, migration and habitats. Your small observation can become part of a much bigger picture. (Hubbub)

🏡🌳 World Habitat Day + World Cities Day

5 October + 31 October

World Habitat Day takes place on 5 October and World Cities Day on 31 October, bringing Urban October to a close. These days encourage us to think about the places we live and what makes a home and neighbourhood somewhere people can feel comfortable, connected and proud to live. (UN-Habitat)

🌟 SHOCKING FACT

The UN estimates that 2.8 billion people worldwide face inadequate housing, including almost 1.1 billion people living in slums or informal settlements. (UN-Habitat)

🏡 Your challenge: Love Where You Live

Choose one small thing to improve your home or neighbourhood:

• Switch off lights and appliances when they're not needed.
• Make your home cosy without wasting energy.
• Look after a shared garden or green space.
• Pick up litter around your building or street.
• Add a plant to a windowsill, balcony or outdoor space.
• Take a walk and discover somewhere nearby you've never noticed.
• Do something helpful for a neighbour.

👧 Kids' Challenge: Neighbourhood Detectives

On your next walk, find:

🌳 Your favourite tree
🐦 A bird
🌸 A flower or plant
♻️ Something that's been reused or recycled
❤️ Something that makes your neighbourhood special

Then ask:

“What one little thing could make our neighbourhood even better?”

🌟 POSITIVE FACT

World Habitat Day reminds us that everyone has the power and responsibility to help shape the future of their towns, cities and communities. (UN-Habitat)

⚡📱 International E-Waste Day

14 October

Have you got an old phone, charger, games controller or pair of headphones hiding in a drawer?

The 2026 theme is “Fast Tech”, focusing on the growing amount of small electrical and electronic items that can quickly become unwanted. (Hubbub)

🌟 SHOCKING FACT

The world produced around 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, but only 22.3% was formally collected and recycled. (Global E-Waste)

📱 Your challenge: What's Hiding in the Drawer?

Have a quick hunt around your home for:

🔌 Old chargers
🎧 Unused headphones
📱 Old phones
🎮 Games controllers
🔋 Batteries
🧸 Electronic toys
⌨️ Small electrical items

For each item, ask:

Can I reuse it? Repair it? Give it away? Or recycle it properly?

Remember: electrical items and batteries shouldn't go in your general rubbish. Use the appropriate local recycling or collection service.

👧 Kids' Challenge: Electrical Detectives

Find five old electrical items at home.

Can you sort them into:

🔧 Repair
🎁 Give away
♻️ Recycle
✅ Keep

🌟 POSITIVE FACT

E-waste contains valuable materials that can be recovered and used again. Formal e-waste management in 2022 helped avoid around 93 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions. (UNITAR)

🍎🎃 World Food Day + Halloween

16–31 October

World Food Day takes place on 16 October and is celebrated through events in around 150 countries. It's a chance to think about food, waste and how our everyday choices can help create a more sustainable food system. (FAOHome)

Then Halloween arrives — giving us the perfect excuse to get creative with leftovers, costumes, decorations and pumpkins!

🌟 SHOCKING FACT

UK households wasted around 6 million tonnes of food in 2022, including approximately 4.4 million tonnes that could have been eaten. That's around £17 billion worth of edible food. (Wrap)

🍲 Your challenge: Love Your Leftovers

Before throwing food away, ask:

“Could I turn this into something else?”

Try:

🥕 Vegetable soup
🍝 Pasta bake
🍚 Fried rice
🍌 Banana bread
🍎 Apple crumble
🥔 Bubble and squeak

And remember — freeze food before it goes off where suitable.

🎃 Make Halloween Greener

Instead of buying everything new:

• Reuse or swap costumes.
• Make decorations from cardboard and things you already have.
• Use a reusable bag for trick-or-treating.
• Choose treats with less packaging where practical.
• Eat your pumpkin!

Pumpkin can be used in soups, curries, roasted dishes, muffins and more.

👧 Kids' Challenge: Greener Halloween

Can you:

🎃 Decorate rather than waste your pumpkin
👻 Make a decoration from something you already have
🧙 Reuse or swap a costume
🍎 Help make something using leftovers
🛍️ Use a reusable bag

🌟 POSITIVE FACT

Reducing food waste can save money, time and resources. WRAP estimates that the average household of four wastes around £1,000 worth of edible food each year — so using more of what we already buy can make a real difference to the household budget too. (Wrap)

👻 BONUS SPOOKY FACT

An estimated 15.8 million pumpkins go uneaten in the UK — equivalent to around 95 million meals. (Hubbub)

So this Halloween: decorate it, eat it and compost what's left! 🎃

💚 How to Take Part

Tell us how you've taken action this month. Share photos, tips or reflections on Engage or email engagement@sng.org.uk.

Everyone who takes part will be entered into a £20 voucher prize draw, and our favourite story or photo will receive a £25 voucher.

You don't have to do everything — one small change is enough to take part. 🌱