Tricks to Beat the Plastic-Wrapped Treats

candy corn in mug

Americans bought 600 million pounds of Halloween candy in 2019, and of the top ten most loved brands, eight are wrapped in plastic. For a holiday that encompasses just a single night, that’s a whole lot of single-use plastic.

Unfortunately, plastic wrappers are not recyclable because they’re too small to be sorted and there is currently not a recycling market for them. So wrappers must be thrown in the garbage where they will end up in a landfill.

If you love candy, but hate the waste check out these sweet tips:

  • No-Wrapper Candy
    (e.g. candy corn, gummy bears and chocolate-covered raisins)
    Some candies can be purchased from the bulk bins with no wrapper, which is the most environmentally-friendly option. No-wrapper candies are perfect for candy bowls at home and other places where germs are less of a concern. Bring a reusable bag to prevent more plastic waste!
  • Foil-Wrapped Candy
    (e.g. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey’s Kisses and gold coins)
    While the wrappers will still be too small to recycle, foil is non-toxic and decomposes more rapidly than plastic.
  • Paper- and WaxPaper-Wrapped Candy
    (e.g. Pixy Stix and Bits-O-Honey)
    Like foil-wrapped candy, these items are too small to be recycled but have less of an environmental impact.
  • Paper-Boxed Candies
    (e.g. Nerds, Dots, Milk Duds, chocolate-covered raisins and Junior Mints)
    Paper boxes can be recycled once empty if clean. Unlike plastic wrappers, paper boxes can be shredded into pulp and recycled into various paper products.

No matter how you celebrate this Halloween, do your part to minimize single-use plastic and reduce your impact on the planet.

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