By: Samira Zarazua
OMAHA, Neb. — From thrifting to renting, the people of Omaha have gotten more creative in finding ways to keep Halloween costumes waste free. According to a 2019 survey by the Fairyland Trust, fast fashion being the second-biggest consumer of water, and over 80 percent of Halloween costumes are made of non-recyclable materials meaning they will end up in landfills, the negative impacts on the environment are clear. Heading to your local thrift shop or renting a costume may help you combat just that,
In Downtown Omaha, thrift store 1404 Collective’s owner, Allison Wetig, has also noticed a rise in people “caring about sustainability and thrifting and buying second hand.” For the Halloween season, that is no different. Local thrift shopper, Anna Gokie, makes their rounds throughout different thrifts in Omaha, enjoying how creative they can get with building their costumes from scratch.
“With thrifting, you can find clothes that already exist so you’re not contributing to the fashion industry producing more and more clothes. . . I thrifted a BRATS costume two years ago. I still have everything. . . I wear it every day.”
Marilou Dohe, one of the owners of Tip Top Thrift Shop in Benson, enjoys that she can help make an environmental difference. “We don’t want this stuff to end up in a landfill. We want people to take [clothes] home and enjoy it.” Tip Top Thrift Shop, a non-profit organization that focuses on Youth Emergency Services, has recently set up a Halloween section of the store in hopes that it will help families find affordable costumes this season.
Alongside thrifting, costume rentals are starting to make its rounds again. Though, over the past 10 years, Ibsen Costume Gallery has noticed a decline due to fast fashion providers.
“Our Halloweens are a lot different than they used to be since things like Amazon and those two-day shipping things. . . Spirit [Halloween] stores and stuff like that have come around. Our Halloweens are just not as busy when people can grab what they want and have it in two days,” said Ariel Ibsen, the daughter of the owner.
When finding your Halloween costume, thrifting for pieces you may use another day or renting a high-quality garment that is tailored to your person can make a difference in preventing textile waste while still having fun.
