We are in the tail end of October, which means Halloween will be here before you know it. So, it is the perfect time to start planning for the annual spooky holiday. Halloween has become a major commercial day, with the National Retail Federation reporting that adults will spend over $8.8 billion on costumes, candy, and other Halloween-related items this year.
With all the money spent on the holiday, it can accumulate excess waste, including cheap single-use costumes and decorations. In addition, the amount of single-use plastic that is used to wrap candy is detrimental to the environment. Luckily, here at Planet Aid, we have compiled a few simple tips on how to make this Halloween as eco-friendly as possible.
Most Halloween parties are filled with store-bought vampire and Harley Quinn costumes. However, they can be detrimental to the environment, with Halloween costumes potentially adding an equivalent of 83 million plastic bottles worth of waste this year.
If you want to prevent contributing to the excessive amount of plastic waste, then think about creating your own costume. You can go to your nearest secondhand thrift store and sift through interesting finds to put together a one-of-a-kind look. If you have the skills to do so, you can even design your own spooky outfit!
Another environmentally friendly idea is to host a costume swap with friends and family. You might have liked what your best friend or cousin wore a few years ago, so organize a swap where everyone can give their old costumes a second life.
It is tradition for children, even some adults, to go around from home to home and receive candy on Halloween. Most of the time plastic pumpkins are used to collect treats, however they will never break down in a landfill. So, as an alternative, look into using a pillowcase or a reusable shopping back to go trick-or-treating this year.
As with costumes, store-bought Halloween decorations tend to contain an excessive amount of plastic. So, this year get crafty when decorating your home and use items you already have laying around. You can make your own scarecrow out of old clothes and fake blood using corn syrup and food coloring. Take a pair of ripped up black fishnets to make a creepy spider web. Get your family involved and make spooky decorations together.
If you do not plan to reuse your costume next year, then donate it! Just drop your costume in one of our many large yellow bins. We accept shoes and textiles in any condition.