Eek! Halloween Costumes Create Tonnes of Plastic Waste

The scariest Trick this Halloween might not come from the ghosts or goblins roaming your neighborhood looking for Treats. Instead, the greatest trick might come from the companies hawking those ghoulish getups.

The Guardian reported from the UK this October the country alone produces up to two-thousand metric tonnes of plastic waste through Halloween costumes. That’s the equivalent of 83-million soda bottles. Scary thought, isn’t it?

The report comes from a study authored by Chris Rose for Fairyland Trust. Rose’s study estimates that seven-million costumes will be thrown away in the UK.

Website plaineproducts.com estimates 85-percent of costumes bought in the United States are thrown away each year. The site also advises readers on how to create plastic-free decorations, costumes and treats for the spooky night.

Eliminating plastic from major holidays could go a long way in reducing the plastic pollution reaching the farthest ends of Mother Earth.

The Guardian has reported scientists have found plastic pollution in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of any ocean on our planet. Microplastics have also been found in the Swiss mountains, well out of reach of everyday human activity.

Simply stuffing old bed sheets with leaves to use as ghost decorations this Halloween instead of buying new, plastic-based goblins could be a small effort that makes a big difference.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/18/scariest-thing-about-halloween-is-plastic-waste-say-charities

http://www.fairylandtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Halloween-Plastics-Clothing-and-Costumes-Report-2019.pdf

https://www.plaineproducts.com/how-to-go-plastic-free-this-halloween/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/20/plastic-pollution-mariana-trench-deepest-point-ocean#targetText=The%20deepest%20point%20on%20Earth,the%20face%20of%20the%20planet.