Still need a Halloween costume? Heal the Bay has a free and sustainable way to dress up

Millions of Southern Californians dress up every year for Halloween, usually with a cheap costume that only gets worn once. The lifespan of those outfits quickly end in the trash, creating a landfill horror story.

That’s where Heal the Bay’s Halloween Donation Drive comes in. The aquarium run by the nonprofit in Santa Monica is accepting gently used costumes and giving them away for free around the holiday.

The drive will run through Nov. 7.

Why the drive is happening

Across the nation, 35 million costumes get trashed every year, according to the Zilkha Center for the Environment at Williams College in Massachusetts. And experts say these mostly single-use outfits can actually end up hurting our health and the environment.

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Lexy Silverstein, a sustainable fashion advocate who’s partnered with Heal the Bay to run the drive, said almost two thirds of these outfits are made from polyester, a synthetic textile known for shedding microplastics that takes up to 200 years to decompose.

Halloween is also taking a bigger chunk out of people’s wallets. Costs are going up — likely in part because of tariffs — with shoppers expected to spend $4.3 billion on costumes this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

“It really makes it less accessible for many families,” Silverstein said. “So the goal of the drive is not only to focus on this environmental impact, it’s also to give families the chance to get free Halloween costumes.”

Getting the free Halloween gear

The donation bins at Heal the Bay Aquarium.

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Courtesy On The Marc Media

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Because the drive will run through Nov. 7, children and adults have time to get a free costume, mask, wig and other accessories before Oct. 31. You can donate other costumes as well as return what you picked up after Halloween instead of tossing them into the landfill.

“We have a clothing rack, so things will be hung up and then swapped out,” Silverstein said, “so that you can kind of have a Halloween shopping experience.”

Silverstein said she’ll take any leftovers home after Halloween and find a way to extend their use by either personally upcycling them or sending the pieces to a textile recycling program.

To join the drive, you can visit Heal the Bay Aquarium, which is right under the carousel at Santa Monica Pier (here’s a guide to finding it). It’s open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

The aquarium usually has an entry fee, but you can check out the costumes without paying by letting door staff know you’re there for the Halloween drive.