The celebration of Halloween has “grown into a monster” and is now “just another sales orgy for the local supermarkets”, one of Ireland’s leading environmentalists has warned. 

Around this time of year, people are taking out their spooky decorations and making plans to take their children Trick-or-Treating. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, John Gibbons said he believes the way people currently celebrating Halloween is harming the planet. 

 “From modest beginnings when I was a kid, Halloween has grown into a monster,” he explained. 

“It’s a monster that has been fuelled by the marketeers; the people who want to sell us stuff. 

“Mostly, they want to sell us stuff that is single use, that is thrown away, so that this time next year we’ll do it all again and buy it again.” 

Halloween decorations at home. Picture by: Alamy.com. 

Mr Gibbons added that many supermarkets often have an entire row dedicated to Halloween decorations and costumes. 

“People are draping things like, for example, fake cobwebs that people love to put across their garden,” he said. 

“What they’re actually doing is laying down a dense mat of plastic. 

“If this was any other time of year, the neighbours would be coming into them and reporting them for littering. 

“Strangley enough in Halloween, all the rules are cancelled and this type of littering is regarded as great fun and good craic.” 

All in all, he feels it has become “just another sales orgy for the local supermarkets” and he urged people to tone things down.

“We’ve got to understand that we’re being played and I think there’s many parents listening to us this morning,” he said. 

“They think, ‘Ah, gosh, isn’t it lovely now, all this stuff for the kids.’

“The problem is that the tat that we’re describing here, it doesn’t go away.”

Main image: Children wearing Halloween costumes. Picture by: MBI/Alamy.com.