Halloween costumes shine a light on labor and climate activists calling for fashion regulation – Washington Examiner

These costumes contribute to nearly 12 million pounds of textile waste annually in the United States, and given the nature that costumes aren’t designed to last, suppliers will use cheap, low-quality materials such as oil-based plastics. Nearly 83% of costumes are made from these non-recyclable materials that have a short shelf life and quickly end up in landfills. It will take between 20 to 200 years for 63% of Halloween costumes to decompose. 

According to Lexy Silverstein, a sustainable fashion advocate, dressing up in these costumes is no different from wearing plastic bags.

“After all, the real scare isn’t the ghosts and goblins—it’s the environmental impact we leave behind,” Silverstein wrote in her blog.

Silverstein shared on KTLA how she’s turned to her own closet, secondhand stores, and eBay, to achieve costumes like those from Alice in Wonderland or a pirate with pieces that can be worn outside of Halloween. She encourages parents and anyone wanting to dress up to opt for more sustainable choices for costumes.

However, Halloween costumes aren’t the only concern for Silverstein and environmental advocates, who have been calling on lawmakers to keep fast fashion in check for years.

Clothing purchased from companies such as Shein, Zara, and H&M are all examples of fast fashion —which means the suppliers rapidly introduce styles inspired by runway designs to consumers at a low cost.

However, companies are constantly introducing new designs, making clothes quickly out of style. Like Halloween costumes, fast-fashion clothes are made from cheap, unrecyclable synthetics. With stores constantly flooded with new designs, many of these clothes will end up being thrown away by manufacturers or consumers running out of space in their closets.

In China, the largest textile manufacturer in the world, more than 26 million tons of clothing are thrown away each year. Last year, China exported $293.6 billion worth of textiles, with fast fashion brands accounting for 70% of the market share. 

Although fast fashion first came to public awareness in the 1990s, the pandemic exacerbated its reach as more and more turned to online markets like Shein, which drops 6,000 new products daily. Founded in 2008, Shein is now worth more than H&M and Zara combined.

Not only are excess clothes ending up in landfills, but Silverstein points out how the manufacturing of the clothing material leads to greater pollutant emissions. 

Aside from the environment, fast fashion poses ethical concerns as garment workers endure unsafe working conditions, grueling hours, and less than 2% of them make a living wage. The FABRIC Act introduced by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand last September is seeking to incentivize American manufacturers to bring back their garment making to the United States by offering a 30% reshoring tax credit.

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And in June, Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) launched the Slow Fashion Caucus. 

“For too long, the so-called ‘fast fashion’ industry has been given free range to pollute our planet, exploit workers, and shortchange consumers,” Pingree said. “The launch of our Slow Fashion Caucus marks a new era in the fight against climate change and sends a clear message that Congress will not stand by as the harmful fast fashion industry flies under the radar to destroy our planet.”