AN EDUCATION centre is encouraging parents to swap and not shop this Halloween with a new green initiative.

St Osyth Priory Education Centre is asking families to donate unwanted costumes and accessories and pick up their 2021 outfit in return for free.

The Green for Halloween event will take place at the centre, with visitors browsing for costumes at a pop-up shop on October 21.

In order to choose their new outfit, residents will have to drop off an item at one of the collection points in the Bury, St Osyth, which will give them a free ticket for the swap shop.

The pop-up shop will then be open on October 21 between 3pm and 5pm.

The education centre will also host its own Halloween programme the following week with a spooky tour of the estate’s crumbling ruins and a hands-on craft session for kids.

Education manager Laura Chesover has praised the Halloween initiative.

She said: “The negative environmental impact of Halloween costumes and fast fashion is well-documented.

“Many costumes are made of plastic-based products such as polyester and are worn only once before being consigned to landfill.

“We want to give these clothes a second lease of life so that we can celebrate the spooky season in a more responsible way.”

According to figures by Hubbub, more than 39 million families dress up for Halloween in the UK and 90 per cent of them buy new costumes every year.

Tim Sargeant, owner of St Osyth Priory, said:”We are committed to sustainable practices and are happy to support initiatives that help to educate young people in conservation.“

Trustees Kim Lalli and Conrad Payne added: "We hope to show children and parents that making greener choices can be fun and we are confident that the family Halloween programme at St Osyth Priory will be a very memorable and exciting experience."

The drop off points in the Bury, St Osyth, will be open on October 14 from 2.30pm to 4.30pm and October 19 and 20 from 8.45am to 9.30am.

Visit stosythpriory.com