A Reddit user's discovery outside a closed Spirit Halloween store inspired a conversation about retail waste practices during the holiday season.
What happened?
A member of the r/SpiritHalloween community posted a photo of their finds after visiting a Spirit Halloween dumpster, captioning it, "Dumpster diving is so amazing when the store closes."
The image shows several intact decorations, including a green ghoulish figure with long fingers and white hair.
One commenter shared insider knowledge: "Really lucky find. We're always instructed to destroy anything even slightly damaged at the end of the year."
Why is Spirit Halloween's waste concerning?
Every year, Americans spend billions of dollars on Halloween decorations, most of which are made from plastic and synthetic materials that take centuries to decompose.
When retailers throw away perfectly good decorations, they contribute to the 292 million tons of municipal solid waste the United States generates annually.
Not only do these discarded decorations end up in landfills, where they release harmful chemicals as they slowly break down, but destroying usable items means more new products must be manufactured to meet next year's demand.
That manufacturing process requires extracting raw materials, using energy for production, and creating transportation pollution, all for items that already exist in perfect condition.
The seasonal nature of Halloween stores makes this problem particularly acute. These temporary locations operate for just a few months, creating a built-in expiration date for massive amounts of inventory.
Is Spirit Halloween doing anything about this?
Spirit Halloween hasn't publicly addressed its end-of-season disposal practices for decorations and props.
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No need for panels 😅 The practice of destroying merchandise appears to be standard procedure across multiple locations based on employee comments, which suggest this is company policy rather than an isolated incident.
What can I do to help reduce Halloween waste?
Several communities have started Halloween decoration swaps wherein neighbors trade items. This practice means neighbors can get new Halloween decorations without spending a dime. Local Buy Nothing groups also provide a way to share Halloween decorations.
Thrift stores are another sustainable option. Many receive Halloween decorations year-round from people who are decluttering. Shopping secondhand for decorations saves money and keeps usable items out of landfills.
Concerned shoppers can contact Spirit Halloween through its customer service channels to express disappointment about wasteful disposal practices. Public pressure has helped change corporate policies at other major retailers, which proves that customer criticism about environmental practices can make an impact.
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