Halloween Has A Seriously Scary Waste Problem

Vampires, werewolves and ghosts might be roaming the streets – but it’s the 7 million costumes binned each year that have us truly scared this Halloween. A study from Hubbub revealed the shocking stat back in 2019, alongside the news that four in 10 costumes are only worn once in the UK. And now, five years down the line, that number is only expected to grow in size.

The Country & Town House Responsible Buyers’ Guide

Holidays are unfortunately renowned for generating lots of waste, with Halloween ranking pretty high up on the scale. As per Hubbub, around £300 million is spent during spooky season, but only 20 percent of consumers consider sustainability in their Halloween purchases.

This means that many of us are buying brand new costumes without really checking what they are made from and where they come from. The study highlighted that 83 percent of Halloween costumes used non-recyclable oil-based plastics – the equivalent of 2000 tonnes of plastic waste or, for a bigger visual, 83 million plastic bottles.

Another major material found in most Halloween costumes, polymer, is also a huge contributor to the holiday’s waste problem. The plastic polymer can take anywhere between 20 to 200 years to decompose, all the while releasing shedding microplastics and releasing toxic chemicals into the environment.

 

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So, how can we reduce waste at Halloween? The general mantra is ‘buy less, buy better’ – but for some more specific costume guidance, read on:

5 Tips For Reducing Costume Waste This Halloween

1. Buy Or Rent Secondhand

The quickest way to cut down on waste? Don’t buy new things you may or may not wear. Instead, consider purchasing pre-loved costumes from vintage shops or online marketplaces, or renting a costume from a trusted rental platform. This will help close the loop and save more costumes from going to landfill.

2. DIY: Use What You Have

You can also forgo the shopping altogether and piece together an outfit using items you already have. Upcycling old clothing or household items can lead to some pretty creative outfits, after all. A black dress and tights? A witch in the making. A red jumpsuit? A devilish Halloween tribute. A dapper suit? James Bond would love it.

3. Host A Costume Swap

If you want to help more people cut down on waste, you can try organising a Halloween-themed clothes swap with friends, family or even local schools. This way, more people can refresh their wardrobe without buying new costumes – and, in the case of children, it can help teach the importance of reusing items with a fun activity.

4. Repurpose Old Costumes

If you simply can’t face the thought of re-wearing a costume, then it might be time to give it a second life. You can get creative by repurposing old costumes into decorations, quilts or even spooky garlands for a Halloween house party. And the best part? These DIY projects will keep your transformed costume in use for several more years.

5. Donate Unused Costumes Before Halloween

Have an old costume lurking in the back of your wardrobe? If there’s no hope of a clothes swap or a DIY project, you can donate your outfit to charity. But it’s worth thinking about when you donate it. Lots of costumes will hit charity shops in the weeks just after Halloween – making them no longer needed for another year, and likely to fall into landfill anyway. It’s best to take in any unwanted items a week or two before 31 October, so that last-minute shoppers can grab something more easily.

Featured image: Paige Cody, Unsplash