To prevent excessive waste and environmental damage, residents should embrace sustainable fashion for Halloween and save or rewear their costumes, according to an Oct. 17 press release from the City of Austin. That’s what it means.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2018 analysis of material waste, 11.3 million tons of textile waste went to landfills and only 2.5 million tons were recycled. The city says Halloween enthusiasts will collect dozens of costumes over the years, many of which will only be worn once. According to the New York Times, fast-fashion Halloween costumes contain microplastics and synthetic fibers, making them difficult to recycle.
Environmental science junior Christo Simov, an integrated intern for the Plastics Reduction Project, which aims to reduce plastic waste, said reusing the costumes reduces textile waste and water consumption. He said people, especially college students who may wear multiple outfits over the weekend, can use clothing multiple times to reduce the impact.
“[Textile production]is very labor-intensive and resource-intensive at the beginning of the life cycle, and then it’s a huge waste for us to throw away[the clothes]and go to a landfill,” Simov said. he said. “To make matters worse, once they are sent to a landfill, they begin to decompose, causing further problems from various greenhouse gases.”
Business freshman Avery Crowley says online retailers such as Shein, which are often criticized for their textile waste, offer an easy way to shop for outfits and get something new for every occasion. He said he was there.
“It’s cheap and can be delivered in a relatively short period of time,” Crowley said. “There are so many options, so many sizes, so many colors, and so much variety in clothing.”
But Crowley said these retailers often don’t offer high-quality, long-lasting products, so most of those costumes end up being thrown away quickly.
“The quality is just barely up to par,” Crowley said. “That’s one of the reasons I stopped shopping there, because I realized that if you want things to last and you want good materials and fabrics, you can’t get them there.”
Simov said there are many budget-friendly and sustainable options for college students when shopping for Halloween.
“Buy used costumes instead of buying them for one-time use,” Simov said. “Another option is to swap costumes with friends, because for most people, Halloween isn’t just a one-time outing.”
Simov said the pop-up thrift shop also provides high-quality products to students. He said he goes to the weekly recycling market in front of 29th Pavement and Guadalupe streets almost every Sunday.
“There are noticeable differences when it comes to these old clothes,” Simov said. “Compared to a lot of disposable products you can find[online]they last longer until people resell them.”
