Len Hanley: Halloween trash is another reason to not celebrate holiday

To The Daily Sun,

For those who celebrate or participate in Halloween, there is an environmental cost to consider they may not be aware of. I wouldn't expect retailers looking to profit from Halloween to tell readers either. Here is some of that cost:

• 2,000 tons of plastic waste are generated annually from Halloween festivities, equivalent to 83 million plastic bottles
• 83% of Halloween costumes are made from non-recyclable, oil-based plastics, destined for landfills; 63% of these costumes use polyester, a plastic polymer that uses petroleum to make which can take between 20 to 200 years to decompose; an estimated 35 million costumes are discarded annually in the United States, causing 11,905,000 pounds of textile waste or 5,952.5 tons
• 1 billion pounds of used pumpkins are sent to landfills annually, and produce methane as they rot
• Sweets and chocolates for Halloween are typically wrapped in non-recyclable plastic
• Most Halloween decorations, plastic cups and cutlery are used once and then discarded; these materials contribute to waste and pollution
• Only 20% of consumers consider sustainability in their Halloween purchases

Considering these costs and others not even listed due to word limits, Halloween is truly a trashy holiday, and this is yet another reason not to celebrate it.

Len Hanley

Barnstead