Halloween costumes being sold by some of the UK's biggest retailers equate to the same amount of plastic as 83 million plastic bottles, a study suggests.
More than 300 items sold by 19 high street retailers, including Tesco, M&S and Aldi, were investigated by environmental charities Hubbub and The Fairyland Trust - of which, 83% of the material used in the costumes was oil-based plastic.
The study estimates that Halloween celebrations will create over 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste from clothing and costumes alone.
Of the 324 items tested, the most common plastic polymer found was polyester, which made up 69% of all materials, while cotton made up just 10%.
Items tested from Aldi, John Lewis and Wilko were made up of 100% polyester.
As well as the effect plastic is having on the planet, the charities have also raised concerns about the impact of fast fashion on sustainability.
In 2017, Hubbub calculated that four in 10 costumes were worn just once.
Chris Rose, of the Fairyland Trust, said: “The scariest thing about Halloween now is plastic.
"More costumes are being bought each year as the number of people participating in Halloween increases.
"Families and consumers can avoid adding to the problem by not buying new items for their Halloween outfits, made from plastic."
A number of retailers were contacted for comment.
A Tesco spokesperson said: “Our approach to plastic is based on 4Rs – remove, reduce, reuse and recycle.
"We’ve removed more than 4,000 tonnes from 8,000 products so far and have made clear that there is no place in our business for materials that are not recyclable.
"In our Halloween range, we have moved away from plastics to alternative materials wherever possible, such as fabric Trick or Treat buckets and sustainably-sourced, paper-based tableware.
"Where plastic features, we have manufactured it to ensure products can be re-used many times. We continue to work with our suppliers to find alternatives to plastics which still adhere to high quality and safety standards.”
David Bolton, policy advisor, retail products at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers are working hard to reduce unnecessary plastic use, however the materials used for children’s costumes are chosen for safety.
"We have worked closely with parent groups, children’s safety experts and NGOs to create a set of guidelines for children’s costumes which provide them with the best protection against fire hazards.
"Retailers take child safety extremely seriously and this is why we support the current choice of materials.”
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