Halloween, like Christmas, Easter and other holidays, does not rate too well in terms of environmental friendliness. From individually wrapped candies to nearly disposable plastic costumes, this occasion is fraught with waste and consumption.
Fortunately we don’t have to succumb to eco-horror and with a little effort and lots of imagination we can stick to our commitment to the environment through the trick or treat season.
The first piece of green Halloween advice is: shun plastic. Those cheap costumes we see in stores, with their heady toxic smells, are actually dirty little numbers, especially when they contain PVC; this material releases chemicals that are bad for your health. And unfortunately, this type of plastic is often not recyclable.
With plastic out of the way, the best way to spare the environment (and save some money at the same time) on a costume is to use existing clothes or buy used clothes. For years Goodwill has advertised its wide selection of clothing and accessories as being a great deal but it’s also great for the environment. See their video ad below:
Dress up like a cast member from Jersey Shore or go as Lady Gaga. Most Goodwill stores have enough vintage, western and glam threads to satisfy any shoppers needs… but go soon! It gets picked over fast.
In addition to Goodwill, crafts and vintage virtual mall Etsy is one great destination. Just click on the vintage section and search for Halloween items. It will produce hundreds of results and quite a lot of unique, stylish and rare gear. Searching for Halloween gear on Etsy is almost as much fun as the party itself. Besides Etsy, costume-hunters can also check out Craigslist, Kajiji or Freecycle.org or even place a “wanted” ad on an online listing.
Another great place to go for some sustainable Halloween ideas, especially for girls and women, is the Martha Stewart website. There you can find a whole section of no-sew Halloween costume ideas. Granted, some ideas are greener than others but the results are consistently brilliant. My top favorite was the Medusa outfit, which consists of rubber snakes woven into braided hair. The effect is amazing!
Once you’ve got a costume or two, consider keeping them together as a set to be used from one season to the next. Perhaps this isn’t the most creative or fun tradition but you could always swap with friends to mix it up.
As a parent or member of a teacher’s association you could arrange a swap meet and do your “shopping” amongst friends instead of a crowded mall. The truth is, with so many chain stores selling costumes these days there is a lot of overlap regardless and their products usually don’t last as long as something you could make or trade for.
As you get older and Halloween costume and candy prep becomes more of a chore than a joy in some cases you might be happy to have that old backup costume at the back of your closet, especially if it goes with the haunted house you might be preparing for neighborhood kids.
Finally, if you are a dedicated Halloween fan, then check out Green Halloween. This network aims at turning the party healthier and greener and invites the participation of anyone who would like to bring the concept to the place where they live. The website includes downloadable action kits and other materials. It also includes a page on green Halloween costume ideas.
