This year, online charity shop Thriftify.ie is urging people to have a “Green Halloween” and shop for a preloved outfit to upcycle. Thriftify.ie stated: "Halloween is not a planet-friendly holiday. Millions of kilos of plastic goes into making accessories and unsustainable fabrics are often used in cheap Halloween outfits which will end up in a bin and will in the long run add to the world’s waste problem.
"It is estimated that mass-market costumes will use about 500 tons of plastic this year in Ireland alone, using non-biodegradable, oil-based plastics used in many costumes, masks and accessories- the same materials you find piling up in landfills and oceans. On top of this, there is the plastic packaging that many of these masks and single-use costumes usually come in, plus the carbon emissions getting these cheap outfits from the Far East and other countries that mass produce plastic goods." Thriftify.ie recommended: "Get creative by chopping, sewing and repurposing to see what kinds of weird and wonderful Halloween costumes you can conjure up! The site has options such as old bridal gowns, black witchy dresses and shirts which could double up as a clever zombie outfit, a corpse bride or a spooky witch!
"Not only will you be doing good for the environment, it will also be a fun activity for you and your pals or your family. You can challenge yourselves to be as wacky as possible and get out the sewing kit to alter and repurpose."
CEO Of Thriftify and climate activist Rónán ó’Dálaigh added: "We want to encourage folks to have fun with costumes but make it a sustainable holiday, by opting for a preloved garment and getting creative with it. There are thousands of items on Thriftify.ie from white shirts to black dresses to things with sequins and vintage pieces so if you think outside the box, you are sure to find something that will work for what you have in mind and that you can wear consciously!"
Thriftify will post you your finds in a biodegradable bag too. Get online at www.thriftify.ie and tag your finds on Instagram! #ThriftifyGreenHalloween
