Green Tips: Eco-Friendly Halloween Costumes

Halloween is right around the corner, and as you decide what costume you’ll wear we wanted to remind you not to forget about the environment! Check out our tips below for easy, cheap, and fun ways to lower your Halloween footprint.

Buy a costume made from eco-friendly materials. Many store-bought costumes are often made of non-recyclable petrochemical-based plastic and synthetic fibers or contain flame-resistant chemicals. Those Halloween costumes can include one of the scariest plastics – polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – a soft plastic and known carcinogen that releases harmful toxins. Avoid these toxic Halloween costumes and opt for a green costume made of natural fabrics and materials. Some examples of include hemp, linen, organic cotton, soy cashmere/silk, and wool. You can find these fabrics here or here.

Buy second-hand. Thrift stores are great places for costume inspiration! Consignment shops sell previously loved Halloween costumes in all sizes. Buying second hand is a fabulous way to keep clothing out of landfills and it also saves money and supports local charities, like the Salvation Army. Find your favorite thrift store from this list.

Avoid face paint. These types of cosmetics can be hazardous. Children’s makeup sets can contain lead, nickel, cobalt and chromium. Find safe face paint here.

Reuse and hand-it-down. Save your costume for next year or exchange with your friends. Set up a pre-Halloween swap party for costumes. You may also consider donating your costume so that someone else can give it a second life next year.

Make your own costume. Instead of buying costumes that you may never wear again, try making your own costume. See what you can put together from what you already have in your closet. Using your own clothes reduces waste and can result in super creative costumes. Read about some ideas here, here, or here.

Take your Hallo-green celebration to the next level by building your costume idea around sustainability issues. Here are some fun examples:

Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Captain Planet was a popular children’s animated series revolving around a hero and team of diverse teens who use their magic rings to help him take pollution down to zero. Your costume can be as simple or as elaborate as you want.

Recycle Robot

Making a robot out of recyclables is an easy and cheap costume for anyone who doesn’t have the time or money to put together something elaborate. The best part is when the night is over all you have to do is sort the pieces into the proper recycling bin instead of putting it in the back of your closet like many store-bought costumes.

The Lorax

Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax “speaks for the trees.” Make your own costume from anything orange like a T-shirt, tights, or jog pants. Use your own goggles and make your own paper mustache.

Mother Nature

Wear earth-colored clothes and gather some natural materials like leaves, vines, pine cones, and flowers to make a wreath or necklace. Check out Pinterest for some great ideas.