As Halloween rolls around, the scariest part of the season might actually be the waste: sustainability goes out the window as college students begin searching the internet relentlessly for costumes. In fact, social media blows up as early as late August with outfit inspiration, transition videos, and most notably costume hauls. There are countless videos of people dumping bags and bags of clothing onto their bed, choosing one piece out of an excessive amount of options, and breaking down the exact date you just need to order by to guarantee you have your haul in time. Besides the socio-ethical implications of ordering from fast fashion brands, the emphasis on a need for perfection and the resulting overconsumption turns Halloween into a living nightmare for the planet.
The why
Let’s get into the details, shall we? In 2024, Americans were expected to spend a total of $3.8 billion on just Halloween costumes, with 4 out of 10 costumes only ever worn once. The result of this consumption is frightening: the US alone produces approximately 5.4 million kgs of textile waste from Halloween costumes per year, or roughly 3,600 cars worth of weight. This stems from the fact that 35 million costumes are thrown away yearly–that’s a big number.
Beyond the sheer amount of waste, the bigger issue lies in the quality of the costumes. To ensure cheap price points, 83% of halloween costumes have been found to be made of non-recyclable plastic and synthetic materials. This fact means that the vast majority of pieces will take up to hundreds of years to decompose, and will pollute the landfills they occupy as a result.
The Center for Environmental Health also found that some costumes from retailers, including Spirit Halloween, carried levels of toxic substances that would’ve exceeded the amount necessary for a warning. The substances found were toxins such as lead and cadmium, that are known to be detrimental to human health.
Finally, companies likely see an uptick in returns around this time as well, resulting from multiple sizes ordered, unnecessary hauls, and a need for different options. This industry creates its own problems: in 2022, general returns created 9.5 billion pounds of landfill waste and 24 million metric tons of CO2 emissions in the process; that’s the equivalent of 5 million passenger cars driven for a full year. This is a result of the fact that 25% of returns are ultimately discarded, as companies such as Amazon design return options so that incineration and other forms of disposal cost significantly less to the retailers they partner with.
THE How
Now don’t get me wrong: I enjoy sourcing pieces and crafting cute looks just as much as anyone else. Halloweekend is a difficult college culture to navigate in this way; the fact is, buying from quality sustainable brands for just a single night is unrealistic and way out of budget for most. So how can we maintain the fun of curating costumes while keeping the process sustainable and affordable? Here are 5 easy steps to take and swaps to make to have this Halloween be your most sustainable yet:
1. Question Need
The first step to reducing consumption is questioning whether or not you actually need to make purchases for your costumes. For many outfits, with just a little patience and willingness to see the vision, it’s definitely possible to use staple pieces you might already have in your closet.
For a costume like Indiana Jones, for example, it’d be pretty easy for most girls to find items that look western and adventurous enough to pull off the look; with a khaki and brown-colored outfit, boots and a cowboy hat, you’d easily pass. Throw on some extra bronzer to look roughed-up and sun-kissed, and you’ve achieved the perfect explorer look–I promise it’s easier than you think.
2. Create Purchase Limits
Before beginning your online search for costumes, another tip is to set yourself a limit on what you’ll buy for each costume. This could mean cutting yourself off at one or two purchases per outfit, whether they be different accessories or even clothing items. I find that setting this boundary beforehand helps me get creative with what I have, and refrain from falling into the mindset of needing every detail of the costume to be perfectly representative of what or who I want to be.
3. Assess Reusability
This step is arguably the most important, as perhaps the largest driver of Halloween waste is the ephemeral nature of people’s costume needs. After all, most of what we buy, we only want for one night, with the cheapest and lowest quality options in our line of sight.
So how can we break this bad consumption habit? Focus on purchasing items if and only if you can reuse them outside of Halloween and enough to make it worth it. One of my costumes, for example, requires a short sleeve white button down–this is something I’m willing to purchase as it’s a basic that I can reuse often, and easily dress up or down.
4. Seek Out Secondhand Steals
For what you do want to purchase, always try secondhand shopping first. There are a plethora of platforms such as Depop, Poshmark, Ebay, and Facebook Marketplace that could easily fulfill even your most niche costume needs if you put a little time into searching.
You could also make a fun afternoon out of thrifting in Providence with friends–you’ll find a new Goodwill Outlet location at 100 Houghton Street, about a 10 minute ride away from campus. On the other hand, if you’re looking for an option within easy walking distance, Nostalgia on Wickenden has a loyal community and great reputation as well.
5. Borrow, Borrow, Borrow!
Finally, borrowing should be your best friend this Halloween season. Ask around every circle you’re part of, and truly take advantage of the networks you might have–you’d be surprised what fellow club members, teammates, sorority sisters, or friends might have on hand from years past.
Small steps like these do make a difference, and if you’re willing to put in the effort, it’s not hard to be a little more sustainable this season. So now that you’re ready to approach Halloween responsibly, check out some of our favorite celebrity looks or 6 unique group costumes for some easy inspiration!