Halloween waste is the scariest of all: In the United States, 35 million Halloween costumes are disposed of each year, according to CBS News. Add decorations and candy wrappers, and that’s tons of trash pushed into our landfills. But fear not! Oakland County’s Office of Sustainability has concocted some tips and tricks to help you make this year’s celebration eco-friendly and easy on your wallet without wasting time.
DIY Costumes
By creating your own costume with items you already own, you’re helping lessen Halloween’s environmental impact.
“Despicable Me” Minion: Grab a yellow beanie, a yellow long-sleeved shirt, black gloves, denim overalls or jean shorts with suspenders and black shoes. Complete the look by making your own pair of goggles with eyes using gray, white and black construction paper. Cut two big gray circles, two medium-sized white circles and two small black circles. Layer them from largest to smallest using glue or tape. Tape or staple the goggles and eyes to the beanie.
Candy Corn: Wear a white hat or a cone made from a piece of white paper, an orange top and yellow or brown bottoms.
Tourist: You’ll need a vibrant tropical-patterned button-down shirt, shorts, socks and sandals. Accessorize with sunglasses, a sun hat and a camera or binoculars to add more character.
Car: Cut the bottom off a large cardboard box. Draw and color a windshield, a grille and headlights to create the front of the car. Add doors on the adjoining sides, then make two small holes near the top of the car’s front and back. Thread and knot strands of string through the holes to create suspenders. Add a rear windshield, taillights and a license plate. You can decorate the car to look like a famous one, like Lightning McQueen from “Cars” or Ecto-1 from “Ghostbusters.”
Cheap or Free Costumes
If you’re short on creativity or time, you can easily find a ready-to-wear outfit if you know where to look.
Thrift Stores: Go to local secondhand shops and look for donated Halloween costumes.
Online: Visit Facebook and search the Marketplace or community groups’ pages. For children’s costumes, search Mom2Mom groups. Also, check out Nextdoor’s For Sale & Free section. If you’re looking for a specific costume, publish a post with the words “ISO” or “In Search Of.”
Friends and Family: Don’t forget to ask your circle. They just might have some costumes and accessories packed away from previous years.
More Sustainable Halloween Tips
Now that you have a costume, here are additional ways to be sustainable:
- Compost your pumpkins, use them for meals or juices or cut them open for local wildlife to enjoy.
- Give trick-or-treaters recyclable cans of pop or sparkling water, festive pens or pencils or candy wrapped in foil or cardboard.
- Use pillowcases or reusable bags for trick-or-treating.
Oakland County wishes all residents a fun, safe and sustainable Halloween. Visit the Office of Sustainability’s website for more information on environmental sustainability
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