How to have a spooky and sustainable costume this Halloween

It’s that time of year again– kids dressed as pirates and princesses come to your door asking, “trick-or-treat!” and Halloween parties host a bizarre arrangement of our favorite characters and creatures. 

Halloween and costumes go hand in hand. The options are endless when it comes to costumes, and that’s part of the fun. But like plastic straws, many Halloween costumes are essentially “single use” – they’re only designed to last for one or two wears before being tossed out.

The Spooky Stats:

• Americans are expected to spend $3.8 billion in 2024 on Halloween costumes 
• An estimated 35 million Halloween costumes are thrown away in the US each year 
• 4 out of 10 costumes are only worn once
• 83% of Halloween costumes use non-recyclable plastic (synthetic materials) – this means they will likely end up polluting our landfills and take hundreds of years to degrade
• A truly scary fact is that Halloween costumes have been found to have toxic substances in them that can damage your health. Toxins like lead, cadmium and BPA are especially dangerous for children. This is just one more reason to avoid those cheap plastic masks and opt for clothing from a trusted brand.

It’s certainly frustrating when your cheap, store-bought Halloween costume doesn’t even last one wash and falls apart on November 1st. That’s not only a waste of your money, but it also further pollutes our landfills and the planet.

The real villain: fast fashion

A lot of the popular costume stores and fast fashion brands go big for Halloween. Fast fashion companies like Forever 21 and H&M release hundreds of Halloween designs each year, hoping to capitalize on people looking for a cheap, one-time use outfit. By the time next year rolls around, that pop-culture reference will be so 2024 and they’ll have an entirely new line of garments. 

But what about all of that inventory that won’t sell this year? Unfortunately, many of those unsold items may be thrown away or burned in order to make way for the next holiday batch. 

SNL’s recent “Spirit Halloween” skit even alludes to this absurd waste when an actor playing a Spirit Halloween employee says, “on November 1st we’re gone, and all of this junk will be in a dumpster.”

As a customer and consumer, your voice matters to these companies. Join us in calling on Forever 21 to publicly commit to not trash or burn their overstock this Halloween.

But what can you do to avoid these cheap and wasteful costumes? We’ve put together some ideas to help you find a great costume that lasts beyond one wear and is also better for the planet. 

Tips for creating a more sustainable costume 

Use your closet

Shopping your own closet is the best way to create a costume without waste and saves you money.

That old flannel can turn you into a lumberjack or those overalls and yellow shirt can be the base for an awesome Minion costume.

Make a costume out of clothes that you will wear on a regular basis

This is a great option because the components of your costume will be used again throughout the year. That’s more cost-effective and is the best way to know you’re getting good use out of your costume. 

The iconic Breakfast at Tiffany’s costume uses staple wardrobe pieces: a little black dress, black gloves, heels, pearls and sunglasses.

Reuse a previous costume

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time October 31st comes around–there’s no shame in recycling an awesome costume you’ve already put together! This can save you time and money. 

Mend or upcycle older clothes

If you have some older clothes that need repairing or are just no longer being worn, you can upcycle them into a costume. 

Adding a few fun patches to those jeans with holes in them that have been sitting in the back of your closet could turn you into the perfect scarecrow!

Buy secondhand

Thrift stores and secondhand shops often have great inventory of Halloween costumes. This is especially ideal for kids who have already grown out of last year’s costume. The trick here is that you’ve got to go early, because these costumes can sell out FAST.

There are always local thrift, consignment, and vintage stores, but if you’re not looking to leave the house there are plenty of online platforms as well. Shopping secondhand helps to extend the lifestyle of clothes that would otherwise end up in a landfill. (ThredUp, Ebay, Poshmark, Depop…the list goes on)

You can also check out Facebook marketplace, Buy Nothing or Freecycle for people who are looking to pass on a previously-loved costume. 

Ask your community- Reach out to friends, family, or other parents

Hosting or attending a clothing swap is a great way to donate and acquire costumes. 

If you have kids, you can reach out to other parents (maybe with a kid a year older than your child) to see if they have any old costumes they’re looking to swap or get rid of. 

Get crafty and make your own costume!

Halloween is a fun time to get creative and put together an original costume that your friends have never seen before. Not only is this impressive, but it can also be fairly easy. You can find a lot of inspiration online (Pinterest, Tik Tok, YouTube, blogs, etc). Check out the photos below to see how our staff have gotten creative!

Have your costume make a statement

Is there an issue you care about and want to draw attention to? What better way than to turn that into a costume!

A ‘vote goat’ would remind your friends and family to vote, while the Lorax would help you speak for the trees.

Check out the OR Foundation’s ‘clothing zombie’ that was seen walking around the streets of New York during Fashion Week. This drew attention to the industry’s serious overproduction problem and our overconsumption of disposable clothing.

How do I dispose of old Halloween costumes?

Consider donating it to:

• A friend or family member
• ‘Buy nothing’ group
• Charity or secondhand store

Can it be mended or upcycled? You can typically find free or low-cost community clinics where people can get their clothes mended.

Check to see if it can be properly recycled through a company like Ridwell or a local clothing recycler that takes damaged items. Ideally, that outfit can be recycled into a new item or downcycled.

Happy Halloween!