Boo! Yes, it is that time of year again where all our kids get dressed-up and roam the streets looking for a sugar fix. Do we really have to break the bank and harm the environment in the process? Of course not!
I personally hate to think of all the “Harry Potter” costumes that will be purchased this year for a single use and stored away never to be used again or even worst left to rot in a landfill. But, I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon National Costume Day SwapTM to help green up Halloween.
Just as the name implies, swap an old costume for a used one. A costume swap can be as simple as getting together with a few neighbors or as large as a citywide event. Costume swaps not only means less resources are used to make a new product, but it also results in less packaging, less transportation of the products and less waste from the products being trashed, as they sadly often are!
Did you know that swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons, that is the equivalent of the weight of 2,500 midsize cars! Costume swapping can be fun and a great way to start off Halloween with a “green” bang. And the great thing about it there is no cost to you. Bonus!
The official National Costume Day SwapTM is October 8th, but it can really be organized any day through out the month of October.
So why not spearhead your own costume swap or look for one here in your neck of the woods.
Any way you look at it, you are making a difference by saving some money, saving resources and lessening your impact on the environment one holiday at a time.
Source: Green Halloween®, National Costume Day SwapTM
costumes, Halloween, second-hand
I am the Good Girl Gone Green. Seeing garbage cans overflowing with recyclables breaks my heart.
This sounds a great idea,great stats, make you realize
I usually buy one to big so it last them years
Sounds like a fun idea! Cute that you buy it too big!
That’s a great idea! Another good thing to do is get your costumes at a consignment/secondhand shop. I’ll have to check this out and see if there’s a swap going on in my area since we don’t have a costume for my daughter yet!
Second-hand stores are great for Halloween costumes!
I love this idea. I think I have about 5 costumes that no one here wears. I really need to look into this.
You should, Terry!
I think a lot of people use old costumes for play as well, so they don’t all get thrown out! Also, preschools will take costumes to fill their dress up bins. But a swap is a GREAT idea!!
Oh I agree, Mel! But I think there is a still a large portion that just dispose of them, so this is a good way to keep them from the landfill!
that’s a great idea!…btw, thank you for following Cutecoconut, your site is awesome, will put this on my blog roll definitely!
Thanks!
Great idea! I was just at our local Once Upon A Child today, and they had tons of costumes! Goodwill also had a huge selection. My son wants to be a werewolf, so I’m hoping to find it at one of these places or just make it from clothes from Goodwill.
Once Upon a Time and Goodwill are all great places to find a Halloween costume. Good luck with the werewolf costume!
i never heard of this before. thanks for the info and links.
You are so welcome!
That sounds like a great idea. This year our youngest is going to be a dino. Our oldest and a nephew wore the same costume. We handed a baby costume down to my cousin that just had a baby. Trying to pass the costumes around!
Hand me downs are great too. Oh a little dino sounds so cute!
Awesome! I thought most people would get a used costume if they could anyway. Had no idea that many were wasted!
People waste lots!
What a great idea! I am going to talk to my children to see if they would like to form a swap for their kids. What a great idea!
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Oh that is great. There is lots of info on the site about organizing or participating in swap!
Think going as Madonna is still my favorite costume… just open up my own closet and create a wild combo. Topped off with some teasing and blue make-up… 80′s Madonna!
That is a great Halloween idea! You would totally rock it!
This year I’m attempting to make Halloween costumes for my family. I’ll be using clothes we already have, stuff from Goodwill and random crafting supplies I can manage to steal from crafty friends. The swap idea is a great one! Consignment shops and sale events are also great ideas for snagging a used costume at a faction of the price, and without wasting additional precious resources!
Sarah @ made in usa challenge
You are one crafty mom! I guess I am going to have to jump on the creative bandwagon soon!
I am always looking for green tips! & came across your site via Gumdrop pass where you linked up. I always buy costumes bigger & when outgrown we pass them on around the family. I love the idea of a costume swap if available in the area. Those statistics are scary! I am a new follower now. Thanks for the insights! I have a weekly link up your welcome to drop in & link up. Have a great weekend! Theresa