5 Tips for a Greener Halloween
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Tips for a Greener Halloween

Halloween is creeping up on us again, for some, it is the anchor event of their whole year, and for others, it always seems to catch them by surprise! So it’s no wonder it can be difficult to enjoy a sustainable Halloween event. Household waste increases by 25% during Halloween. An estimated 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste will be thrown away after Halloween celebrations, with much of the Halloween themed items made to last for just one use.

The biggest carbon footprint associated with Halloween comes from the fast-fashion costumes mass-produced each year. Many of these cheap disposable costumes are of poor quality and often produced in countries with poor labour standards. 83% of mass-produced costumes contain oil-based plastic, which can take between 20 to 200 years to break down in landfill. Almost 7 million Halloween costumes are disposed of each year, equal to about 83 million Coca Cola bottles! And 4 out of 10 costumes every year in the UK are not worn again.

Second Hand Costumes

So instead of purchasing a last-minute disposable costume, visit your local charity shops and second-hand stores and enjoy the creative process of developing a new and original alter-ego for the night. If you are putting together a costume yourself, try to use fashion and household items that you already own or that can be repurposed back into your wardrobe and used for the rest of the year. You can check out our latest blog post on the thriftify website for some fun costume ideas using easy to source and reusable items.

Another option is to consider renting your Halloween costume from a costume shop, these items are kept in circulation and are of better quality. Some of the best vintage items and accessories can also be found in the back of your grandparents’ closets, or swap old Halloween costumes with friends. Once you’re done, don’t forget to repurpose or donate your costume and pay the fun forward.

The Plastic Bag Plague

Americans use 100 billion plastic bags each year, left to rot in toxic landfills for centuries or wreaking havoc on ocean life. But by merely swapping out plastic bags for reusable ones, each tiny trick-or-treater can help make a big collective impact on the planet.

Some ideas for nature-safe trick-or-treating bags include:

  • Backpacks
  • Pillowcases
  • Tote bags
  • Old handbags
  • Drawstring bags
  • Duffle bags
  • Paper gift bags

Trick or Wasteful Treats

Nearly 600 million pounds of Halloween sweets are bought each year in the U.S., which amounts to an unimaginable amount of wrapper waste destined straight for the landfill – or worse yet, the ocean!

Some ideas for environmentally friendly treats:

 

How to Get Involved with Second-hand September?

Throwing a green Halloween party will ensure you have fun without harmful effects on the environment. Start by sending electronic invites instead of paper.

  • Use glassware and washable utensils or look for recyclable or compostable plates, cups and utensils rather than the kind that ends up in the trash (Check out Susty Party, which sells compostable party products).
  • Put out recycling bins for bottles and cans.
  • Buy food for the party that is organic and locally grown, or head to your local farmers' market.
  • Prepare finger foods that can be eaten without plates

Pumpkins for the Picking

Make your seasonal decor come alive by creating natural, plastic-free decorations this Halloween.
Thankfully, pumpkins, the most quintessential Halloween decoration, are a good choice for the planet. However, ensure that you use the pumpkin pulp in your Halloween recipes to reduce food waste.
To keep things as sustainable as possible, look out for one that has been grown in Ireland – Supervalu sources theirs from five local growers and there are Irish pumpkin patches around the country where you can go and pick your own.

Stay tuned to the Thriftify blog and social media for more sustainable Halloween concepts, offers and competitions.

Share your Halloween inspiration:
We would love to see what’s inspiring your costume ideas this year.
Share your mood boards, saved images and scraps on social media using the hashtags:

#thriftortreat
#sootd (Spooky outfit of the day)
#thriftthishalloweenseason
#greenhalloween