Lessons Learned: Halloween Candy Wrapper Recycling Project

When we decided to buy a Terracycle box and collect Halloween candy wrappers for recycling, we knew we weren’t solving the litter or the single use plastic waste problem. A company called Rubicon had stopped their wrapper recycling program (Trash to Treasure) after 5 wildly successful years. 

We wanted to draw some attention to this particular single use stream of waste as an example of a problem consumers face, and a way to talk about alternatives.   Most of the wrappers are made of multilayer materials making them difficult to recycle. 

Companies choose the packaging their items come in, and we have limited ways to avoid it. We want what we want, and the producers make a choice on how they’ll present it to us. Disposing of the waste is marketed as a consumer problem, but the onus should really lie on the producer to make a system we can follow or to make a reusable, compostable or truly recyclable package. 

Terracycle engages with companies to take back their waste for recycling, or they handle the recycling through their take-back waste boxes like the one we purchased.

So here’s what we learned from the experience:

1. Dang, we eat a lot of candy! (To the left is one of four bags crammed into the box.)
2. People cared about the wrapper collection and wanted to help – we ended up with a stoop full of boxes and bags of wrappers – ants like the ones in bags.(2 out of three deliveries received)
3. There ARE paper-wrapped candies that are also popular (Nerds, Milk Duds, Hot Tamales, Mike & Ikes, Junior Mints, M&Ms, DumDums, etc.).

While we wait for the producers to take responsibility for packaging, here are some things we CAN do.

1. Eat less candy?? Doubtful.
2. If you have a choice and it matters to you, you can buy candy in paper packaging. You can also prioritize buying food without packaging (ie, broccoli not mummified in plastic wrap) or in sustainable packaging like glass, metal or paper containers. Next best but not so great is recyclable plastic bags or wrap, which can be dropped off in grocery store collection boxes.
3. Consider buying items in bulk or where you can fill your own jars or paper bags. Many of these stores are independently owned like Severna Park’s BD Provisions, a GNG Business Partner. Added benefit – you’ll be supporting a locally owned shop which keeps more money in your community.
4. Take action to encourage legislators to support bills about producer responsibility such as Maryland Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction.
5. Join Good Neighbors Group’s One Clean Block –  our effort to keep litter out of storm drains and the neighborhoods where we live. Sign up to take charge of one block or storm drain near you and keep it clear of litter and debris. Together we can keep more trash out of our waterways and keep storm water flowing, not flooding.

While we wait for producers to do the right thing, the responsibility falls on us to do our best to deal with their waste. Know that most people are trying to do the right thing and are confused or frustrated with the current system. Check out resources on our website for where things can be donated or recycled to make the least environmental impact. 

All of our little efforts do add up and make a difference. And as the old shampoo ad used to say, “You tell one friend, and they tell one friend, and so on, and so on…”

(Incidentally, multilayer wrappers like most of the candy wrappers, should be thrown in the trash – unless investing in a Terracycle box – rather than recycling, where it contaminates recyclables.)