4 Easy and Eco-Friendly Halloween Costume Ideas

Are you ready to get your spook on? Halloween is the best time of the year because we get to be creative, dress up, and eat delicious treats.

BUT... did you know that Halloween is a largely unsustainable and expensive holiday because of accumulating costumes and decorations? While Halloween is a time for fun, it shouldn’t be hurting the environment or your pockets which is why this year, we’re bringing you the ultimate eco-friendly Halloween experience. In this #theGoodBlog, we put together some tips on how to create eco-friendly costumes on a budget for a greener Halloween!

How is Halloween Unsustainable?

Halloween costumes and décor are made from plastic materials and usually thrown out right after using them. People typically buy brand new costumes and décor each year from large superstores that aren’t made sustainably and only worn once. According to Statista, in 2022, consumers in the U.S. are expected to spend an all-time high of 10.6 billion dollars for the Halloween season. That’s A LOT of money spent on single use items that are discarded as waste after a couple of hours of use.

 You can make a Good change by celebrating Halloween without having a negative environmental impact, and save money while you’re at it!

 Check out our tips in this week’s #theGoodBlog below for easy, cheap, and fun costume tips to lower your Halloween footprint.

1. Have a Costume Exchange Party!

   If you don’t have an old costume to wear this year, chances are one of your friends does. We’re sure your friends will love that their costumes will find new homes. After all, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

   Make being sustainable together a fun event by hosting a costume exchange party! You can get your family and friends together and help each other create Halloween costumes. Everyone can bring old costumes or accessories to exchange and choose what to wear. Serve food and drinks while people try out costumes and dress up. You can even compete on who looks best!

   If you have kids, you can host a costume swap party at their school or daycare. You can also post on Facebook asking people to post available costumes, comment on what they are looking for, and offer contactless pick-ups.

   A costume-swapping party is a fun way to get a new costume. Best of all, it’s completely free.
   
   
   

2. Reuse an Old Costume 

   The number one tip for sustainable costume ideas is saving and reusing what you already own. Chances are you have several Halloween costumes from the past put away somewhere. Why not reuse them?

   If you think your old costumes are outdated, you can transform them into something better. You can revamp one of the costumes through simple sewing and add accessories that will make it feel brand new. For example, add a dazzling necklace to a dress to elevate your kids’ princess look.
   
   
   
   

3. DIY Costume from Your Wardrobe
   Another great way to be eco-friendly this Halloween is to make your own costume from the clothes you already have. Shopping your closet is the easiest way to make a costume if you don’t already have one. Using your clothes reduces waste and is creative and fun.

   Think about what you own and what could work for your costume ideas. For example, if you want to be a witch, look at your black clothes. Or for an angel costume, go for a white dress or shirt and pants and make a pair of DIY wings out of cardboard boxes. See what you can put together.

   Chances are good, you have our best seller in your sustainable closet? If you have the relaxed it eco-batwing tshirt why not get inspired to use it as a base for your costume like we’ve done for this awesome witch costume.
   
   
   

4. Thrift a Second-Hand Costume 

   If you’re thinking of purchasing a costume, opt for used items first. Buying second hand is an amazing way to keep clothing out of landfills. It also helps you save money with lower prices and supports local charities that give back to the community.

   Thrift stores are the best place for treasures of leftover costumes! You can also find second-hand costumes and accessories online that may be made by eco-friendly artisans. Check out our favorites: Poshmark, eBay, Flyp, Depop, and Asos marketplace. If you would rather shop in-store, head to your local thrift store like Value Village or a second-hand shop.
   
   
   I hope you enjoyed our list of green Halloween costume ideas for the upcoming holiday. People spend so much money on costumes, but we at the Good Tee believe Good humans don’t have to fall into the consumerism cycle. There are Good ways to have creative, affordable, and sustainable Halloween costumes that don’t burden your bank account or landfills.