Tips To A Sustainable Halloween Costume
Scary Facts About Costumes
One of the biggest carbon footprint from Halloween are the millions cheaply made, poor quality fast fashion costumes mass-produced every. single. year. Unfortunately most if not all are made from unsustainable materials like polyester (plastic) or cotton (which unless it is organically grown as a slew of negative effects). These costumes are manufactured in countries with poor labor standards (aka slave labor) and are so poorly made that they will likely fall apart after only a few uses. This is INTENTIONAL. Halloween costumes are one of the worst forms of fast fashion, and big retailers count on you to buy a different costume every year.
2,500 tons of Halloween costumes get sent to landfill each year.
Americans will spend $2.6 billion on costumes worn for one night
Costume Tips:
Ditch The Stores------Shop Your Closet First
For the last few years I have been shopping my own closet for costumes. I have been a flapper girl, Persephone, a cat, and a DIY fairy. I greatly enjoy the creativity of putting together an outfit/ costume with what I already own
Hold A Costume Swap
If you have some old costumes you no longer ware get some friends together to exchange them! It will be new to you and prolong the costumes life while creating a fun night with friends
Rent A Costume
This is a great way to get a stunning costume that you wont have to keep, also helps to support local business.
Make- Up Focused Costume
Even if you aren't super makeup savvy there are a TON of simple makeup territorials that can be done with basic makeup- or if you are skilled in the art of makeup....lucky
Thrifting/ Secondhand
This is one of my favorite tips because you can find such gems this way! It is also affordable and good for the environment. I got my mermaid costume secondhand and I LOVE it!
Ethically bought
If you STILL just need to buy a new costume or are looking for something specific seek it out ethically- invest in something by a local creator or costume maker. These pieces will be made to last, use higher quality materials, and does not support slave labor. Etsy is a great resource for this!
Those are all my tips for low-waste Halloween costumes! Which ones are your favorites or you want to try out? Have any tips of your own? Let me know in the comments below!