Remember when you were a little kid, and every Halloween night was pretty much the greatest day of candy on earth? You’d fill up a bag full of candy, you’d turn it over, and you’d start little piles of wrappers as you plowed through the goods. And it was beautiful.

Now, we’re not proposing to Green Grinch over excess candy wrappers or plastic pumpkins. But you can green up Halloween by distributing eco-friendly chocolate! You know, hike down to Mexico, harvest eco-friendly Mayan cocoa beans, and make your own. It’s never been easier!

Naturally, we’re just tricking. (Yay Halloween!) All you really have to do is check out Greenopia’s recently released environmental analysis of the top candy manufacturers. Ten brands were reviewed, and the top brands received 4 out of a possible 4 leafs. This year, they were Theo Chocolate and Endangered Species Chocolate.

This rating was determined by a comprehensive set of criteria to determine the candy company ratings. Data was collected from the companies themselves pertaining to the ingredient sourcing, transparency, transportation methods, attributes of the product’s packaging, and company logistics.

“We wanted to encourage parents to hand out more sustainable candy this Halloween”, said Gay Browne, CEO of Greenopia. “Some of the major brands source unethical ingredients that are grown using unsustainable methods. Consumers should know the origin and impact of what they are buying.”

And why is it important to use green chocolate? The U.S. buys over 90 million pounds of candy each Halloween for trick-or-treaters, but the vast majority of this is produced with little environmental or ethical consideration. Halloween alone accounts for over $2 billion in sales for the candy industry, about 25% of its annual intake. And over 93% of kids under the age of 12 go trick or treating every year. That’s a ton of candy.

Unfortunately, the traditional brands fell short in terms of their eco-friendliness. Major brands such as Hershey’s, Mars, Wonka, and Godiva did not hold up well in a green light, although some have significantly improved their supply chain over the past few years and have pledged continued action.

“We were surprised about the lack of environmental progress by some of the top brands,” said Doug Mazeffa, Greenopia’s Research Director. “The major brand who stood out was Cadbury having committed to utilizing a large amount of responsibly-sourced chocolate as soon as next year.”

To find a green bakery or dessert shop in your city, check out Greenopia's local green business directories.