
A study has revealed that this year Halloween costumes bought in the UK will contain 2,000 tonnes of plastic – waste equivalent to 83 million plastic bottles.
Hubbub and the family nature charity Fairyland Trust investigated 324 clothing items sold by 19 retailers and have found that 83 percent of the material used for Halloween costumes was oil-based plastic, with polyester making up 69 percent of the total of all materials.
The retailers surveyed were Aldi, Argos, ASOS, Amazon, Boden, Boohoo, Ebay, H & M, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Matalan, Next, PrettyLittleThing, Sainsburys, Tesco, TK MAXX, Topshop, Wilko and Zara.
Based on the results, the charities have predicted that the plastic waste generated will be equivalent to 83 million plastic bottles, more than one per person in the UK.
Hubbub’s chief executive Trewin Restorick said: “These findings are horrifying. The amount of plastic waste from Halloween costumes is similar to the weight of plastic waste generated at Easter in egg-wrappings.
“However, the total plastic waste footprint of Halloween will be even higher once you take into account other Halloween plastic such as party kits and decorations, much of which are also plastic, or Halloween food packaging, most of which quickly becomes ‘rubbish’ and ultimately, breaks down to be plastic pollution.
“Retailers must take greater responsibility to offer ranges for seasonal celebrations that don’t worsen the already worrying impact of plastic waste on our planet.”
Research by Hubbub in 2017 estimated that 33 million people dressed up for Halloween and 40% of those costumes were worn only once.
The charities have therefore urged families to choose their costumes conscientiously keeping the impact their choices have on the environment in mind.
Apart from encouraging people to create their costumes from existing or second-hand clothing, the charitable organizations are also requesting manufacturers and retailers to limit plastic in their ranges and provide customers with environmentally-friendly options.
Scary plastic
Chris Rose, from the Fairyland Trust, said: “The scariest thing about Halloween is now plastic. More costumes are being bought each year as the number of people participating in Halloween increases.
“Concerned consumers can take personal action to avoid buying new plastic and still dress up for Halloween by buying from charity shops or reusing costumes to create outfits, or making their own from non-plastic materials.”
Paula Chin, sustainable materials specialist at WWF, said: “There is nothing scarier than our throwaway culture.
“By reducing the amount of plastic we buy, embracing reusable items and taking responsibility for our waste, we can make sure Halloween is suitably spooky and sustainable.”
How do you plan to make this year’s Halloween environmentally friendly? Share your suggestions in the comments section below!
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Is Tobey Maguire vegan? Here’s what we know
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 17th August 2023
Tobey Maguire often speaks about veganism and animal issues. Tobey Maguire, the actor best known for playing Spider-Man in the Sam Raimi trilogy, is a vegan. He has been a vegetarian since 1992 and became a vegan in 2009. A lifelong commitment to animal rights Maguire’s decision to go vegan was motivated by his love …
Continue reading “Is Tobey Maguire vegan? Here’s what we know”
Plant-based food jobs surge with 32% growth in just 3 months
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 17th August 2023
The number of open jobs advertised in the plant-based industry increased by almost a third from April to July 2023, GlobalData reported. The plant-based food industry is booming, and this is reflected in the number of job openings in the sector. According to data from GlobalData, the number of open jobs advertised in the plant-based …
Continue reading “Plant-based food jobs surge with 32% growth in just 3 months”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …
Continue reading “QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert”
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a …
Continue reading “QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?”
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …