Can Halloween ever be sustainable?
Despite the fact it feels like it should be April, 2023 continues to move at lightning speed- Halloween is only just around the corner. Around now, every year, we start to wonder if Halloween can ever be sustainable?
By nature, Halloween is made up of categorically unsustainable things like unnecessary consumption and production, as well as plastic and single use products. That being said, we like to find a balance between having fun and being eco conscious. We don’t want to write Halloween off completely, we just want to know - can it ever be sustainable?
To start off our research we went back to basics…
What is Halloween?
Genuinely, what is Halloween? I wouldn’t know the answer without googling it. I think the fact no one really knows why we celebrate Halloween feeds into why it is inherently unsustainable, because no one actually knows why we celebrate it and can agree we don’t really need it.
After your formative fun years as a child of being excited by Halloween, what is the need for it? Why do we still have it on our minds in our 20s?
The answer - capitalism! Big brands have realised they can make money from ‘celebrating’ Halloween.
I say celebrating, but what I really mean is more long winded: ‘making products that have a pumpkin on and selling them for 2 months a year knowing that no one actually needs or wants them but people will buy them anyway’. Celebrating is less of a mouthful, but in essence, Halloween is just another way to make money.
A great example of why we don’t need Halloween is the Shein Halloween page. Just take a look at this for a few seconds and tell me you don’t feel physically stressed by the sheer amount of random sh*t for sale.
They have everything from pumpkin cushions, skeleton clips, ghost wristbands and our personal favourite, pumpkin bow ties. Who needs any of this? Who is buying this?
Yes, we want people to have fun and enjoy things, and maybe a little ghost wristband will make your seven year old happy, but it feels wrong that all this plastic single use stuff is being produced for no reason other than a little bit of fun for a day or two.
What’s the impact of Halloween?
We all know Shein is awful, but that’s extreme right? Sadly, no.
The whole Halloween costume industry has a startling impact on the planet. 83% of Halloween costumes are made using non-recyclable oil-based plastics according to Energy Live News. It goes without saying that something that can’t be recycled will end up in landfill, meaning all Halloween costumes are by default not sustainable, unless worn multiple times.
If you think we sound the Halloween equivalent of Scrooge, let’s put it into perspective: ‘for just one day of use, close to 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated – which equates to 83 million plastic bottles being thrown away’. - Energy Live News in a study conducted by Hubbub.
We’re trying to shop more sustainably and get the most out of clothes we already own and the same applies to Halloween costumes. In fact, it’s perhaps even more serious with Halloween costumes as a lot of them are more plastic heavy than polyester based clothes.
It’s time to answer the question: can Halloween be sustainable? I think the short answer is no because of the way it drives consumption and encourages single use purchases. The long answer is that whilst it’s not ethical, there are some ways to soften the blow of Halloween on our climate.
Halloween, but make it sustainable
Closet costume
The most obvious tip, but create a costume from clothes you already own, rather than buying an expensive one you’ll never wear again. Don’t contribute to the influx of waste driven by Halloween and get more wear out of your existing wardrobe while you’re at it.
We’ll be sharing our best closet costume ideas updated from last year’s list, so keep an eye out 👀
Phone a friend
If there’s something you need to put the finishing touch to your costume, why not ask the group chat before impulse buying in Primark, etc.
You’ll be surprised what miscellaneous costume bits you and your friends have acquired over the years. I’m sure you can help each other (and your bank accounts) out.
Don’t decorate
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but don’t decorate this Halloween. Jokes aside, if you’re thinking of buying some decorations, consider whether you’ll actually use them in the future, or whether you’re just being drawn in by adverts and cheap deals to buy something you don’t need that has a negative impact on the environment.
Costume repeat
Think outfit repeating, Halloween edition. Costumes are expensive! Why not invest in one you like that you think you’ll look forward to wearing at next year’s Halloween party or maybe the next costume party you go to.
Also, if you’re going to more than one Halloween party this year, wear the same costume to both. Who cares if you wear the same costume twice? It’s most likely a different group of people if it’s a different party, so who even cares anyway.
Use makeup
If you find yourself with nothing to wear for Halloween, instead of Amazon-priming something to arrive the next day to save you, why not opt for the classic ‘dead person’ costume that literally anyone can achieve.
Wear black or tatty old clothes and put on dark eyeshadow and hollow out your eyes. You might get some stick for a rubbish costume, but it’s better than contributing to the mountain of plastic waste driven by Halloween.
If you have any more advice on how to be more sustainable this Halloween we would love to know, please tell us on our socials @Whering__ on Twitter & Instagram.
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