#108: A More Sustainable Halloween

Does Halloween leave you feeling conflicted? You or your kids want to enjoy it, but the waste it generates leaves you feeling queasy? Today I break down how we can engage in Halloween costumes and decor more sustainably, using the ‘5Rs’ framework for guidance.   Scary Halloween stats from Hubbub and Waste Managed: 33 million people dress up for the Halloween each year in the UK 79% of households with children dress up And out of those families planning to dress up, 94% of the families plan on buying new costumes for Halloween in 2023 However, we know that 83% of Halloween costumes use non-recyclable plastic And then 7 million of those costumes are binned each year 4 out of 10 costumes having only been worn once Learn more about the 5 Rs, which are: "Refuse what you do not need." "Reduce what you do need." "Reuse by using reusables." "Recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce, or reuse." "Rot (compost) the rest." Read this eye-opening article about why composting is better than sending things to landfill.