Swap Your Halloween Costumes This Saturday

Photo: Flickr/Guerry

Grabbing a pre-made Halloween costume at the local drug store may be convenient, but a costume-in-a-bag can be expensive and may just end up in the landfill after the festivities.

What if you could trade Halloween costumes with your friends and neighbors, saving money and helping the planet for everyone’s favorite spooky fall holiday?

That’s the idea behind National Costume Swap Day, where families can find a new home for their unwanted costumes, while picking up a new-to-them witch’s hat, super hero cape or princess gown donated by other families. The second annual event is coming up this Saturday, Oct.8, in cities across the U.S. and Canada.

Last year’s inaugural Costume Swap Day, the brainchild of nonprofit Green Halloween, boasted 73 swaps in 23 states and Canada. This year, the organization is partnering with eco-friendly parenting magazine, KIWI Magazine, and Swap.com, which helps its members get rid of unwanted items online and in their communities.

To participate, search for a swap near you, or register to organize your own event.

“A costume swap is recycling at its most fun,” said Corey Colwell-Lipson, founder of Green Halloween, in a statement. “It not only means that fewer resources are used to make new products, but also means less packaging and less waste, since costumes often are trashed as soon as Halloween is over. People will really be making a difference in their community.”