Among the scariest things about Halloween these days are the cost and the waste, according to Opera Santa Barbara (OSB), which is working to ease those fears.

OSB’s State Street office is a drop-off site for The Ultimate Halloween Swap, a free costume swap founded by sustainable fashion journalist Lexy Silverstein.

“Bring a costume you’re done with, and another family gets one for free,” OSB said.

The costume swap is going on 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Opera Santa Barbara, 1330 State St., Ste. 209. Gently used kids, adults and pet costumes, wigs, masks and accessories are accepted.

“Halloween now runs about $115 a person, and costumes are the biggest expense, at a time when inflation and gas prices are already stretching family budgets,” swap organizers said.

“Most costumes get worn one night and thrown out, and many are made from polyester and other plastics that can take hundreds of years to break down,” they said.

In Santa Barbara, costumes end up at the county’s Tajiguas Landfill, which was filling up so fast the county approved an expansion to keep it open until 2038.