It is scary! In Ireland we bin about 700,000 costumes every Halloween! 83% of the costumes are made using non-recyclable petroleum-based plastics; meaning they are set for landfill.

Most halloween costumes get used only once. If you want your kid to have a “new” costume this year, why not get a pre-loved one? 

This year we called for an initiative involving National Schools and playschools in Louisburgh and Killeen*. Parents donated costumes in good condition at the school and collected a new-to-their-child at Louisburgh’s Town Hall Friday 6th October for a coin donation.

We got very few donations (about two dozen costumes) and about two thirds of those got picked up. People were generous and we collected €35 for the Children’s Health Foundation. We offered all the leftover costumes in our Louisburgh Free Market group and none of them got picked up. We will save the best ones for next year, and donate the rest to PAX next week.

We are still figuring out what are the barriers to second hand in our locality. Although second hand is the best choice for the planet and thus our children, many parents feel the need of buying new. We would like to change that mindset, and for now, we’re doing it through exposure. We’ll keep doing swaps and slowing fast fashion 🙂

If you have any thoughts, let us know!

*Thanks to Berenice, Mel, Barbara and Martina for helping organize!