The true horror of Halloween

Do you know the scariest thing you can do this Halloween? Buy a new costume and contribute to the 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste being thrown away. 

Halloween is one of the most popular holidays in the year, with about 30 million people in the UK alone deciding to dress up.

As well as ghosts and ghouls, the true horror of Halloween is the seven million of those costumes being sent to landfill each year. 

Have a fun and ethical holiday

As fun as it is creating a Halloween costume and going out with your friends it is important to realise the affect your buying can have. Most purchases made for Halloween are themed, and only worn on that one day a year – unlikely to be reused.

It is estimated that consumers in the UK spend over £472 million on Halloween products. On top of this, unfortunately most costumers are sold by big retailers such as Asda or fast fashion companies such as Pretty Little Thing and Misguided.

Meaning they are made from materials like polyester, nylon and PVC which are non-biodegradable. 

How to stay Sustainable this Halloween

Halloween is still a holiday, so of course you should dress up and have a good time. Which is why I want to share with you my top tips on having a Sustainable Halloween.👻

Save the environment and your money, by using items you already own, borrowing items from friends/family or if you must buy – shop second-hand. Not only is it better for the environment, it is also a lot more fun to put together your own costume piece by piece instead of paying £50 for a ready-made vampire costume.

It gives you the chance to be more creative and think of something original to go as. Pinterest  is great if you are struggling for ideas.

If you are not feeling too creative or you do not have the time to put together a full costume, then why not contact your local Halloween shop and ask if they offer a hiring service?

That way you can easily get a full costume without contributing to landfill.

Keep your costumes out of landfill using these top tips

Now, let’s talk about keeping costumes you have already purchased out of landfill. Did you buy a costume last year that you won’t wear again and no longer want? Do not throw it away, donate it.

Firstly, why not see if any of your friends or family want it? If not, there are many other places you can give it to.

For example, your local theatre, community groups – these costumes could really come in handy for them. Or if you have children’s costumes you could give them to schools, children’s hospitals etc. where I am sure there will be plenty of kids who would love them!

Another great idea would be to get all your friends together where you all bring an old costume, props, parts of a costume etc. and have a lucky dip.

You can all pick out a few items each and then you must make yourself a costume from those items. Again, a lot more fun and creative then just ordering something online.

You may end up with some amazing costumes, and some strange, but you are guaranteed to have a good laugh and it will be a Halloween you will always remember.😇

Thanks so much for Reading troops!!

Rach

x x x 

@rachonfashion