Welcome to a regular blog feature called Guilt-Free Green Tips. These will be easy action steps you can take to be a little greener, and each mini post will feature one tip. Choose the ones that appeal to you, and learn what eco benefits a single, simple step can make.
Sofie as a Greek goddess, a costume pieced together from hand-sewn fabrics,
thrift store items and stuff we had around the house.
Halloween costumes extend at least as far back as medieval times when people dressed up during Samhain as the fairies, ghosts and witches they feared as a way to ward off evil spirits. They went “mumming,” performing antics in exchange for food and drink.
Our modern-day costumes have become much more diverse in their range of characters, often portraying whoever is popular in current media, and because of that, Halloween costumes have become a cheap, single-use industry. It’s becoming rare to see homemade outfits sewn by hand or pieced together from items around the house.
This year, look for a costume swap in your area, particularly on National Costume Swap Day which is the second Saturday in October. They’re often held at local libraries and community groups. Or you can host one yourself among friends or at a public place, advertising locally via craigslist or community swap sites.
How Does It Help?
- You save money. Swaps are free! (Although some larger ones may charge a small admission fee.) Usually all you have to do is exchange a gently used costume of yours for another person’s. Excellent idea. If you have three kids, you’ve just saved yourself about $60-75 on store-bought costumes. What will you use that money for now?
- You divert waste from the landfill. And this makes the earth happy. Kids only wear these costumes one day a year, and while you might be able to reuse one for two seasons, generally your child outgrows it or wants to be something different. Plus, since you didn’t go out and buy a new costume, you’ve reduced the waste derived from packaging.
- You avoid nasty toxins. Arsenic, lead, mercury, VOCs… these are just some of the chemicals typically lurking in today’s manufactured Halloween costumes, according to reports from HealthyStuff.org. And while one night of close contact may not do much harm, who wants to increase your child’s exposure to chemicals linked with asthma, learning disabilities, cancers, and reproductive problems when there are safer options? Older costumes tend to have reduced levels of chemicals that have since off-gassed.
