Halloween may be our favorite holiday, but it isn’t without its issues. This year, sustainable fashion advocate Lexy Silverstein is doing her part to try to tackle two of them: textile waste and affordability.
Americans not only buy synthetic costumes—63% are made from polyester, a petroleum-based plastic—but also throw away 35 million of them every year, generating waste equivalent to 83 million plastic bottles. This non-biodegradable waste can take centuries to break down in a landfill. Additionally, the holiday has become prohibitively expensive. With costumes averaging $114 per person, many families are priced out of participating in what should be an accessible community celebration.
That’s why Silverstein is piloting simultaneous Halloween Costume Donation Drives in Baltimore and Los Angeles as part of ‘Lextober.’ These drives keep synthetic textiles out of landfills and oceans while getting them into the hands of families who need them — addressing both the environmental crisis and the economic barrier in one community-driven solution.
“Halloween is honestly one of my favorite holidays, I live for the creativity, the costumes, the whole vibe,” said Silverstein. “But when I found out that Americans throw away 35 million costumes every year, most made from plastic that’ll sit in a landfill for 200 years, I was horrified. Like, genuinely sick to my stomach. I couldn’t unsee it. Every time I’d see those giant bins of cheap costumes at stores, all I could think about was where they’d end up on November 1st. So I decided to do something about it. Lextober is my way of saying we can still have all the fun of Halloween without trashing the planet or leaving families behind.”
How to Donate and Get a Costume
In Los Angeles
Silverstein has partnered with ocean conservation nonprofit Heal the Bay. Now through October 29, you can donate your used costumes and accessories at the drop-off location at the Heal the Bay Aquarium at the Santa Monica Pier from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Additionally, Silverstein will be on hand personally at the Venice Beach Pier Cleanup on Saturday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to noon, collecting donations.
All donated costumes will be sorted and redistributed to families in the Los Angeles community, giving them an affordable, eco-friendly Halloween option.
In Baltimore
Silverstein has partnered with Clinical Associates. Now through November 5, you can drop off your used costumes or accessories at the following three locations:
- Clinical Associates at Towson
515 Fairmount Ave, Suite 100
Towson, MD 21286 - Clinical Associates at Woodholme
1838 Greene Tree Rd, Suite 135
Pikesville, MD 21208 - Clinical Associates at Reisterstown
120 Westminster Pike, Suites 104 & 106
Reisterstown, MD 21136
From October 27 through November 5, the same three Clinical Associates locations will serve as free pick-up sites for those in need of a costume.
Any leftover costumes after November 5 will be distributed to local second-hand stores and community centers to ensure they get reused instead of ending up in landfills.
“No kid should miss out on Halloween because their family can’t drop $114 per person on costumes,” says Silverstein. “When you donate your old costume to Lextober, you’re literally giving another kid the chance to be a superhero or a princess or whatever they dream of being. And you’re keeping that costume out of the ocean. That’s powerful.”
For real-time updates on costumes and what types are available, visit LexySilverstein.com.
