As we all pivot to try and live more sustainable lives it's great to see some recent innovations within our industry with regards to "packaging" and the manufacturing of more sustainable costumes.
Therefore its time to report in on some of these thoughtful improvements.
Packaging.
We are now seeing more of our costumes arrive in cardboard packaging. Largely driven by Europe which is a far more mature market for anything environmental (they banned shopping plastic bags years ago) and such a larger number of people in Europe than compared to Australia which gives people power to the Recyling Movement. So let me bullet point these changes so you can read on to find out the goss.
- A sustainable costume come packaged in a brown cardboard box.
- The carboard box is recyclable or reusable.
- The packaging proudly wears the brand label FSC certified. This certification gives a guarantee the materials used in the packaging are from FSC certified forests / FSC recycled materials / FSC controlled wood. The FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) are the world's leader in sustainable forest management. They also claim to have one of the worlds the most rigorous and trusted forest certification systems. Good on them!
- The box can be recycled by using your local councils curbside recycling bin.
- The costume packaging uses a thick "paper" printed sleeve that wraps the box and is double sided. The outer side is used for marketing, instructions and pictures. (Good riddance plastic bags, yay!!!)
- The thick paper sleeve labelling sleeve screams its message of "recycling". The costume in my hot little hand claims "is made from 8 plastic bottles". Thats a fun fact if I've ever heard one! Also, there is basically more than half of the printed labeling dedicated to promoting it's dedication to environmental sustainability and why not i say.
- The real innovation is the inside of the paper sleeve is interactive as it comes with a "colour in activity" element. So kids can repurpose the packaging.
- As well as a "colour in" element, I have something further to report. I noticed on the paper sleeve for the "Matilda" Roald Dahl costume (pictured below), that when you turn the sleeve inside out there is a pattern on the inside. This pattern will enable you to turn the packaging sleeve into something useful! What a great idea! So for a book week costume imagine a child being able to colour in the packaging and then convert it into a book bag.... I'd say the designer has "Nailed It!"
"Sustainable" Costumes
Ok so here goes as to what I found out about the concept of these new style of sustainable costumes.
- They are made from 100% recycled content.
Waste plastic is cleaned and made into pellets. These pellets are then converted into yarn which is then converted into a fabric. This 100% recycled content which is a combination "stretch polymer material " plus a "satin material" is then used to make costumes.
- The sustainable costumes are designed and made to be machine washable. (wear again and again and again)
- Sustainable material is considered a "Longer Life" product.
- No glitter is used with these sustainable costumes. Cosmetic glitter can contain microplastics. Some scientists are voicing concerns that cosmetic glitter although in small amounts is starting to show up in our waterways.
- Costumes are printed only with a sublimated print process. Sublimation uses less energy and water than other print methods and has less waste than vinyl and is a permanent print.
- The costumes pass all E.U. toy safety and testing requirements.
So all in all the costumes are not much different looking than regular costumes but the major changes to mention now are the packaging and the price.
Currently the sustainable costumes are dearer. Using two comparable costumes of which one is manufactured as sustainable and one isn't. The retail price of the regular costume is $58 compared to the sustainable costume which is $63.00.
By my rough calculations that's a 10% increase to buy a costume that will help reduce the environmental mess we are in. I think that's more than fair.
Costume packaging is currently being presented to the consumer as a choice. People can decide to buy greener costumes or not, but like "plastic bags" I'm reasonably confident that governments in Australia will eventually legislate to ensure all products, not just costumes are packaged responsibly.
So for now when buying a costume, ask the retailer, "are these sustainable."
