Editor’s note: Resource Recycling, Inc., is hosting the 2027 Textile Recovery Summit March 1-3, 2027, near Washington, DC. The summit will be co-located with the Plastics Recycling Conference and Resource Recycling Conference.
Consumers are expected to spend $4.4 billion on Halloween costumes this year, according to the National Retail Federation. That breaks down to $2 billion on adult costumes, $1.5 billion on children’s costumes and $0.92 billion on pet costumes.
And yet Americans throw away an estimated 35 million Halloween costumes each year. Four out of 10 costumes are only worn once. An estimated 83% of Halloween costumes include non-recyclable plastic, equivalent to around 2,000 tons of plastic scrap.
However, there are ways to fight back against costume waste.
The city of Greensboro, North Carolina, runs a Costume Comeback program in which residents can donate used costumes and accessories. Then, anyone can shop for free at the city’s popup costume store. Similar programs exist in other cities and towns around the country, from California to Virginia.
Thrifting treasures
Another great option for donating your used costume instead of tossing it in the landfill is your local thrift store, says Steven Bethell, the co-founder of second-hand goods wholesaler Bank & Vogue in Gloucester, Ontario.
“For sure you’re going to get an influx of Halloween (stuff) after Halloween, but good thrift stores will save Halloween costumes that are getting donated throughout the year and then put it back out,” Bethell told Resource Recycling.
The inventory includes everything from “really cheapy, cheapy stuff to like somebody just spent $1,200 on a Luke Skywalker costume,” said Bethell.
In fact, thrift stores are a great place to shop for seasonal or year-round costumes, said Bethell. This includes traditional outfits like ghosts and vampires to creative projects like buying a white dress and putting some wings on the back to become a fairy.
“I would argue for thrift shopping for Halloween not just because it’s the more environmentally friendly choice, but because you’re gonna have a better costume,” said Bethell. “If you go to a thrift store and pull together a pirate outfit, you won’t have somebody else look exactly like you at the next party.”
Bethell called Halloween an “environment where thrift shines,” where there is ample opportunity for creativity, discovery and fun. “And I hope that Halloween and shopping for a Halloween costume at a thrift store is actually a gateway to get people to shop more thrift regularly,” he said. “It could lead to a bigger conversation about having more of your closet being thrift.”
Similarly, the reuse and recycling of Halloween costumes could be a gateway into broader conversations about the overall issue of textile waste, and the role the global second-hand market plays.
“The end of October is the biggest two weeks of thrift all year, it’s like the Super Bowl of thrift,” said Bethell. Not only does interest in Halloween drive people into stores, but the seasons changing prompts people to seek out affordable colder weather apparel around that time.
And stores are starting on the holiday trend earlier and earlier. “It used to be, you’d only put Halloween out in October,” said Bethell. “Now the Halloween signs go up at the end of August.”
“Shop your own closets”
Another tip to reduce your environmental impact (and your budget) on Halloween is to “shop your own closets.”
“That old flannel can turn you into a lumberjack or those overalls and yellow shirt can be the base for an awesome Minion costume,” the group wrote on its blog.
PIRG also suggests constructing a costume out of clothes that you will wear on a regular basis. This one can take a little thought, but here’s an example: “The iconic ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ costume uses staple wardrobe pieces: a little black dress, black gloves, heels, pearls and sunglasses,” the organization wrote.
Another option is to go DIY and put together an outfit from items already laying around the house, from felt to string to old bedsheets or cardboard boxes.
Ultimately, Halloween is about fun, Bethell said. But by giving it a little thought, people can reduce their impact on the planet and still have a memorable holiday, he said.
