Eek! Halloween outfits use as much plastic as 83m bottles

Halloween costumes and accesso- ries being sold by major stores will contain the equivalent of 83million plastic bottles, a study suggests.

Plastic pumpkins, witches’ hats and fake skeletons will be among the most popular items on sale in the build up to october 31.

But an investigation of 324 clothing lines sold by 19 retailers found that 83 per cent of the material in the costumes is oil-based plastic. The spooky costumes will add up to 2,000 tons of plastic waste in the UK this year, the study by environmental charity Hubbub and nature charity The Fairyland Trust found.

The groups are instead encouraging families to make their own ghoulish outfits by recycling items they already have. They are also calling on manufacturers and retailers to rethink product ranges for seasonal celebrations, and for better and consistent labelling to help customers choose environmentally friendly options.

The most common plastic polymer found in the clothing sampled was polyester, making up 69 per cent of the total of all materials. Chris Rose, from The Fairyland Trust, said: ‘The scariest thing about Halloween is now plastic. More costumes are being bought each year as the number of people participating in Halloween increases.

‘Research by Hubbub estimated that 33million people dressed up for Halloween in 2017 and a shocking four in ten costumes were worn only once. This means it’s vital that we all try and choose costumes that are as environmentally friendly as possible.’