The Ultimate Halloween Swap Expands Across Southern California, Giving Halloween Costumes a Second Life

The free costume exchange is partnering with Girls Inc. of Los Angeles, Heal the Bay, Occidental College, Opera Santa Barbara and community partners in Maryland to make Halloween more affordable while reducing textile waste

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ultimate Halloween Swap, founded by sustainability advocate Lexy Silverstein, is expanding across Southern California and Maryland  this fall, giving families a free way to find Halloween costumes while helping keep millions of perfectly good costumes from being discarded after just one night of use. Drop-off and swaps run through Nov. 6, and locations are listed here.

Following a 2025 pilot that collected hundreds of costumes in California & Maryland, The Ultimate Halloween Swap is partnering this year with Girls Inc. of Los Angeles, Heal the Bay Aquarium, Occidental College, Opera Santa Barbara and Maryland Clinical Associates to collect gently used costumes, accessories and reusable props and make them available to others at no cost.

The concept is simple: families can donate clean, wearable costumes they no longer need and select a "new-to-them" costume from available inventory. Participants do not need to donate a costume in order to take one, making the program both a sustainability initiative and a way to help reduce the cost of celebrating Halloween.

"Everything costs more right now, and a Halloween costume shouldn't be one more thing that squeezes a family's budget. I've spent years covering what fast fashion does to the planet, and costumes are one of the clearest examples: made from plastic, worn once, then thrown away. The good news is that the solution is already hanging in someone's closet," said Lexy Silverstein, founder of The Ultimate Halloween Swap.

Americans are expected to spend $4.4 billion on Halloween costumes this year, while research has raised concerns about the amount of plastic and textile waste generated by costumes that are frequently worn only once. A Fairyland Trust study found that 83% of the material in the Halloween costumes it examined was plastic, including 69% polyester. The Ultimate Halloween Swap is designed to interrupt that buy-wear-discard cycle by making reuse easy, accessible and fun.

"We're proud to partner with The Ultimate Halloween Swap for a second year and help give families in our community an easy way to participate," said Fran Wingerter, CEO of Clinical Associates. "Last year showed us how much enthusiasm there is for a simple idea like passing along costumes that still have plenty of life left in them. We're excited to be part of it again and help make reuse a normal part of Halloween."

Making Costume Reuse Easy Across Southern California

Participating locations are accepting children's and adult costumes, masks, wigs, accessories, costume pieces and safe, reusable props. The initiative began collecting costumes in September, with swap opportunities taking place throughout October and additional efforts encouraging families to donate costumes after Halloween rather than throwing them away.

In Santa Monica, the Heal the Bay Aquarium, located at 1600 Ocean Front Walk, is participating in the campaign and will also incorporate a costume swap into Heal the Bay's event on October 11 at noon.

"I love spooky season, but the scariest part of the Halloween season is the plastic waste from fast fashion! I grew up on homemade and reusable costumes, and that's a part of the 90's that should definitely be back in style," said Emily Parker Heal the Bay's Senior Marine Scientist, Circular Economy Fellow, and lead on their work with the LA2028 Olympics Sustainability Committee. "A costume swap is a fun, accessible way to keep clothing in circulation, avoid unnecessary waste and show that choosing reuse can be easy. Reuse should be part of our everyday lives, including how we celebrate every season!"

At Occidental College, located at 1600 Campus Road in Los Angeles, costumes can be dropped off Monday through Friday at the library or bookstore from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a dedicated swap for staff and faculty taking place on October 16, 2026  at 11:30am.

"The Occidental College community is very passionate about addressing the causes of climate change", says Assistant Director of Sustainability, Alison Linder.  "With established programs such as Green Move Out, Touchdown Thrift and FEAST Garden, Occidental has embraced a circular economy.  The Ultimate Halloween Swap offers an opportunity to extend the life of existing costumes, to save our community the hassle and expense of buying something new, and to teach the benefits of using secondhand goods."

The Ultimate Halloween Swap is also partnering with Girls Inc. of Los Angeles to reach families in South Los Angeles through programs at Knox Elementary School, 8919 Main Street, and 93rd Street Elementary School, 330 E. 93rd Street. Both locations are participating Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"Halloween should be something every child can enjoy, without putting additional pressure on a family's budget," said Erin Ross, Girls Inc. of Los Angeles CEO. "The Ultimate Halloween Swap brings families and communities together to share what they already have, give costumes another life and make it easier for more kids to take part in the fun."

The campaign is also extending into Santa Barbara through Opera Santa Barbara, located at 1330 State Street, Suite 209, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, which is participating Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Silverstein launched the swap with the idea that extending the life of an existing product can be one of the simplest forms of sustainability. Rather than focusing only on what people should stop buying, the initiative gives families an immediate alternative: use what already exists.

"Secondhand shouldn't feel like the second-best option," Silverstein said. "Someone else's old costume can be your child's favorite costume this year. You can save money, find something unique and keep a perfectly usable item out of the waste stream at the same time."

California Turns Its Attention to Textile Waste

The expansion of The Ultimate Halloween Swap comes as California begins preparing to implement the Responsible Textile Recovery Act, SB 707, the nation's first statewide extended producer responsibility program for apparel and textiles. Costumes are specifically included among the products covered by the law.

Under the law, producers will eventually be responsible for helping fund and manage systems for the collection, repair, reuse and recycling of covered textile products. Landbell USA was approved as the producer responsibility organization on February 27, 2026, with a statewide needs assessment due in March 2027. CalRecycle is expected to adopt implementing regulations in July 2028, with the regulations taking effect no earlier than July 1, 2028.

California's effort reflects a larger textile waste problem. Californians dispose of approximately 1.2 million tons of textiles annually, even though many discarded products could potentially be reused, repaired or recycled. That textile waste is clogging landfills and much of it is made from synthetic plastic fibers that shed microplastic fibers into the environment.

Silverstein said legislation can help build larger systems for textile recovery, but families and communities do not need to wait years to start changing how they think about disposable clothing and costumes.

The Ultimate Halloween Swap is also encouraging families to think beyond October 31. Once Halloween is over, costumes can be donated, handed down, thrifted, exchanged or saved for another year rather than discarded. The goal is to make reuse part of the Halloween tradition and demonstrate that sustainability can be practical, affordable and community-driven.

About The Ultimate Halloween Swap

Founded by sustainability advocate Lexy Silverstein, The Ultimate Halloween Swap is a community costume reuse initiative designed to make Halloween more affordable and less wasteful. The program collects gently used costumes, accessories and reusable props and makes them available to others at no cost, extending the life of items that are often worn only once. Following a 2025 pilot that collected hundreds in California and Maryland, the initiative expanded across Southern California in 2026 through partnerships with community organizations, schools, cultural institutions and environmental groups.

About Girls Inc. of Los Angeles

Girls Inc. of Los Angeles empowers girls to tap into their strengths and amplify their talents to transcend stereotypes and systemic barriers, becoming leaders of today and tomorrow. For 162 years, Girls Inc. has championed girls by providing support and research-based programming to build self-esteem, develop life skills and enable academic achievement. Through its programs and advocacy, hundreds of thousands of girls have successfully broken barriers and positively changed the trajectory of their lives. Girls Inc. of Los Angeles expects to serve more than 3,000 elementary, middle and high school girls across twelve Title I schools in South Los Angeles, Watts and Venice during the 2026-27 school year, providing programming focused on inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold.

About Heal the Bay

Heal the Bay is an environmental nonprofit established in 1985 that is dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds in Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy and clean. Heal the Bay uses science, education, community action and advocacy to fulfill its mission. Its impact includes removing more than 2 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways, educating more than 280,000 children through the Heal the Bay Aquarium and education programs, beginning an endangered species aquaculture program that could help restore Southern California's kelp forests, and advancing advocacy and scientific work that protects ecosystems and communities throughout the watershed.

About Opera Santa Barbara

A premier provider of professional music theater for California's Central Coast since 1994, Opera Santa Barbara has staged more than 100 productions of opera favorites, lesser-known classics, and contemporary American works featuring nationally recognized performers as well as artists and craftspeople of our region. Beyond offering mainstage productions, the company develops the talent of emerging singing actors; educates children in the art and meaning of music theater; and provides free educational and musical programs to the broader Santa Barbara region. For more information, visit operasb.org.

About Occidental College

Founded in 1887 in Los Angeles, Occidental College, a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences, seeks to provide its students with a total educational experience of the highest quality—one that prepares them for leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent and pluralistic world. The distinctive interdisciplinary and multicultural focus of the College's academic program seeks to foster both the fulfillment of individual aspirations and a deeply rooted commitment to the public good.

About Clinical Associates

For over 50 years, Clinical Associates has provided trusted, personalized care to families across Maryland. Their team of experienced primary care providers and in-house specialists work together to deliver coordinated care, serving our patients throughout the year!

MEDIA CONTACT:
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SOURCE Lexy Silverstein