October marks the beginning of the season of overconsumption. Every year, on October 31st, we sport our scariest, funniest and/or sensual apparel, decorate our homes in spooky decorations, watch horror movies, and go trick-or-treating. However, beneath Halloween’s ghoulish glamour, lies a terrifying amount of trash generated by fast-fashion trends and single-use Halloween costumes.
In 2023, the National Retail Federation found that total spending on costumes was expected to reach a record $4.1 billion in the United States, up from $3.6 billion in 2022. This excessive spending burdens both ourselves and the environment. Many Halloween costumes are designed for one-time use and made of cheap materials (i.e., synthetic fabrics and plastic), which results in an incredible amount of waste every year. A survey conducted in 2019 estimated that approximately 2000 tonnes of plastic waste – equivalent to 83 million plastic bottles – is generated from disposable Halloween clothing in the UK.
Halloween wasn’t always like this. The holiday’s origins can be traced back to a Celtic festival called Samhain, celebrated 2000 years ago in what we now know as Ireland, the UK and northern France. Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the onset of winter; it was a time when the Celts believed that the barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead became blurred.
Samhain was a sacred occasion that allowed one to honor their ancestors and the spirits of the deceased. People gathered around bonfires and wore costumes made from animal skins to tell stories, express gratitude for the harvest, and protect themselves from evil spirits.
By 1550, Samhain had been Christianized and became All Saints’ Day, which was observed on November 1. However, celebrations on the night before, known as All Hallows’ Eve, kept some pagan character. Eventually, All Hallows’ Eve evolved into the term Halloween by the mid-1700s.
Over time, Halloween migrated from a religious and folk tradition to a consumer-driven phenomenon, with the Western world playing an important role in this evolution.
In the 1800s, as Irish and Scottish immigrants arrived in North America, their customs and costumes migrated along with them. The first recorded instance of dressing up in disguise in North America was in 1898 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. As Halloween entered American culture, its popularity quickly spread and people created frightening costumes with materials commonly found at home (e.g., makeup, linens). By the 1920s-30s, costume choices were influenced by pop culture (e.g., Mickey Mouse, Popeye), and people’s fascination with impersonating identities/ways of life that were considered to be at the fringes of society (e.g., g*psies, pirates, homeless people), contributing the commercialisation of Halloween and the costume industry.
Here emerged the first major costume manufacturing companies like H.Halpern Company (aka Halco), and Collegeville Flag & Manufacturing Company. Post- WWII in the 1950s, Halloween costume manufacturing became a big business thanks to the rise of television and popular TV shows like The Adventures of Superman. Ben Cooper, a costume manufacturer, played a pivotal role in this expansion by quickly obtaining the licensing rights of these live-action shows and mass-producing cheap costumes of their superheroes and entertainment figures. By the 1970s and into the 80s, Cooper went on to control close to 80% of the Halloween costume market, helping transform the holiday into the pop culture phenomenon that it is today.
Currently, Canadian customers spend upwards of $60 on costumes alone. Many younger consumers turn to social media for Halloween costume inspiration, using platforms like TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram for ideas. In 2023, a survey found that 59% of Tik Tok users were influenced by the social media platform for their Halloween costume purchases.
To keep costumes out of the landfills and celebrate Halloween more sustainably, prioritize reducing and reusing what you already have. That means rewearing your costumes from previous years (outfit-repeat!), adapting existing clothing to create a new costume, or even swapping Halloween costumes and accessories with friends/family/roommates.
If you do choose to purchase a new costume, consider choosing materials with end-of-life in mind (i.e., avoid single-use, petroleum-based plastics), going to second-hand stores, and/or purchasing items that you can use outside of the Halloween season.
For example, as part of my costume rotation, I’ve dressed up as Neo from The Matrix for the past three years. Many of its core elements – sunglasses, black pants, a black top and a leather jacket – are versatile pieces that can be worn on a regular day and have held up over time.
As we reflect on the Halloween celebrations of the past, it’s important to recognize how we’ve evolved from a sacred Celtic occasion to a capitalist holiday. This year, consider celebrating with an environmentally conscious approach by reusing costumes, swapping with a roommate, or thrifting it! By finding joy in the simpler aspects of the holiday, we can reduce our consumption and celebrate in a more sustainable way.
Comments