Funded by the DfE, Climate Ambassadors match volunteer climate experts with education settings.
Part of Let’s Go Zero, Climate Action Advisors are independent experts who offer free support for schools, colleges, and nurseries across England.
Dress-up events like World Book Day and Halloween are highlights of the school calendar, but they can put pressure on families to buy ‘single-use’ outfits.
In the UK, we discard around 711,000 tonnes of textiles every year - roughly 35 items per person. Yatton Schools wanted to cut this waste while making events inclusive and affordable for families.
What they did
PTA volunteer and Climate Ambassador Libby Watts expanded Yatton Schools existing uniform reuse shed to include donated costumes.
By running a pop-up ‘costume shop’ ahead of events, families could borrow outfits for free, reducing costs, cutting waste and ensuring all children could participate.
On this year’s World Book Day, over 50 costumes were borrowed and reused.
Sometimes the smallest, simplest ideas make a huge difference. It supports families, reduces waste, and makes World Book Day enjoyable for everyone.
Step-by-step to creating a reuse scheme
- Identify the need
Acknowledge that dress-up days can add financial pressure and look for a solution that improves access while reducing waste - Build on existing initiatives
Like Yatton Schools, if you already have a uniform reuse shed, expand it to include costumes for themed events - Collect community donations
Invite families to donate unwanted costumes. Many will have items in good condition that they no longer need - Store items centrally
Store costumes year-round alongside uniforms, ready for events. You only need space for a few boxes - Run a free ‘costume shop’
Yatton Schools opened their pop-up shop three weeks before World Book Day, giving families time to donate and collect items. Parents could take outfits for free, with no expectation to donate
Top tips
- Keep it low-effort - hang costumes up and organise by theme (for example jobs, superheroes, princesses), with a box for props
- Make it judgement-free - allow families to take items without expectation to donate or return
- Be flexible - keep the shop open on the morning of the event so every child can access a costume. Allow families to request or offer costumes on school WhatsApp or Facebook groups
- Adapt for other events - run donation drives before Halloween or Christmas Jumper Day. Yatton Schools enable Roman and Viking costumes to be reused year upon year
Next steps
If you're a parent or carer…
Talk to your school about expanding a uniform reuse scheme to include costumes and set up a collection point for donations. At Yatton Schools, a simple box in the car park allows easy access.
If you're a sustainability lead…
Use existing reuse schemes to store costumes. Work with PTAs or volunteers to run donation drives, communicate via newsletters and give families time to find and donate unused items.
Want to replicate Yatton Schools' success?
Take a look at these recommended actions:
Plan a session on consumption as part of your behaviour change programme
Organise sessions to educate your whole community on the topic of consumption and responsible habits.
Use your sustainability initiatives as learning opportunities
Identify opportunities to incorporate your sustainability projects into learning.