Be creative with costumes and avoid buying foam and silly string sprays

By Olivia Skordi

Limassol has the biggest and most well-known carnival celebrations in Cyprus, with the final Sunday parade – this year on March 2 – the pinnacle of the carnival season and producing the most waste, which increases from year to year.

In 2024, Limassol municipality confirmed that they collected 43 tonnes of waste compared to 2023, of which 30 tonnes were produced during the Sunday parade. Apart from the large volume of waste, the concerning issue is that this volume of waste is not being recycled, and all waste ends up in the waste management facility in Pentakomo. This highlights the urgent need for better waste management practices, especially zero waste practices during such a vibrant celebration.

Carnival celebrations bring vibrant costumes and festivities, but they also contribute to a growing overconsumption of costumes and other accessories that might end up being wasted every year.

Different companies are taking advantage of the festivities, and produce low-quality garments laden with toxic substances (e.g., phthalates) and sell them at exceptionally low prices. Additionally, constantly changing costume trends push consumers toward materialism, encouraging them to buy outfits they will likely never wear again. As a result, these items quickly end up wasted, exacerbating the cycle of waste.

Carnival waste also extends to single-use products like sprays, which pose serious environmental and health risks. The extensive use of sprays in the form of foam and silly string cans as part of the carnival entertainment has been one of the single-use materials that impact the environment and human health.

The liquid stored inside is very high in harmful substances that can cause further contamination into the environment as it is hazardous and flammable. Additionally, there is no legal age limit for using or purchasing these sprays, and many children use them and are exposed to dangerous substances, irritating their skin and eyes.

But what if we could enjoy the festivities without leaving behind a trail of waste? Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus is launching the Eco Carnival campaign, to try and minimise the abovementioned harmful habits and promote simple and effective choices to embrace the carnival spirit.

An Eco Carnival
This year, choose not to purchase from big brand shops, don’t throw away old costumes, and look for materials to make your own costumes and accessories. Be as creative as possible as a method of upcycling or choose to wear the same costume again. Another solution is to exchange, borrow or swap costumes rather than buying a new one.

Carnival swap events are not something that we are familiar with, but it follows the concept of a usual clothes swap event. Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus will organise a carnival costume swap on February 24 at the Friends of the Earth’s Cyprus Office in Limassol. During the swap event, we encourage people to bring their old costumes, accessories, children’s get-ups, or other items, that they don’t wear anymore and exchange them with others.

Making our own costumes is always fun and cost-free. As part of our campaign, we will run an online competition for the carnival period with photos from DIY costumes, where photos with the best costume DIY ideas will be collected and exhibited on a later date after the carnival.

Reusing must become a part of our carnival celebrations. Instead of using single-use plastics, you can bring your reusable cup for beverages and your reusable water bottle to the parade.

Avoid buying anything single use if possible, and especially confetti and sprays, since they are harmful and hazardous for the environment and for our health.

Let’s choose to celebrate this year’s carnival creatively and sustainably. Make sure to follow the social media of Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus and keep up with all the activities planned for the Eco Carnival campaign.

Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus:
Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus is an entity of four organisations fighting for a zero-waste future through advocacy, awareness raising and groundwork actions. All activities are open to the public, and you can find more information about the events and the Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus work on our website and our social media platforms @zwacyprus.

Olivia Skordi is a project manager for Friends of the Earth Cyprus, a core member of Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus