The National Retail Federation reported that there was over $4 billion spent on Halloween costumes in 2023. ($2 billion in adults, $1.4 billion in kids, and $700 million in pet costumes). 83% of prepackaged costumes are made of oil based plastic materials, designed for single use and are likely to end up in a landfill. It is estimated that over 35 million costumes are thrown away yearly in the US.
However, you can make a choice to reduce the impact of these statistics. You can reuse, swap, donate, borrow, share, rent, buy second hand and then plan to recycle your costume again. You can easily create a costume from recycled products as a DIY project with your kids. Cardboard, plastic containers and tin foil can turn an arts and craft project into a clever Halloween costume!
Some online resources to assist you with Halloween costuming include: Goodwill, Trashmagination.com, THREDUP, and Facebook Marketplace.