What’s Halloween without candy? Handing out sugary sweets at the front door or at a house party is all part of the fun. This Halloween Americans will spend $2.7 billion on candy alone. That’s a lot of candy, and, of course, that also means that there will be a lot of candy wrappers heading for landfills on November 1st. With the right preplanning, you can help eliminate some of this waste by handing out delicious candy that’s also eco-friendly.
Make Your Own Candies with Sustainable Packaging
Are you a whiz in the kitchen? If so, this year consider making your own homemade candy and wrapping them in sustainable packaging. Here at the Mindful Living Network, you’ll find fun recipes for DIY candy. You can make your own fun-flavored rock candy, sweet jelly candies, or sour gummy bears. Be sure to wrap your sweet treats in eco-friendly packing such as cellophane (since it’s biodegradable). Your extra effort will impress your neighbors and the kids.
Hand Out Eco-Friendly Candy
Don’t have the time to make your own candy? No problem! Check to see if there are small candy companies or stores in your local area using sustainable packaging. Or check to see if your favorite national brand offers “green” candy. For instance, if you are planning a smaller Halloween gathering with just a few friends or family members, try handing out Alter Eco’s chocolate truffles.
Alter Eco truffles come in many delicious flavors (Dark Mint, Salted Caramel, Sea Salt, Dark Velvet, and Dark Black) and their packaging is sustainable. According to Alter Eco, the truffle wrappers are made with compostable materials including compostable non-toxic ink. The Natureflex wrapping material is created with eucalyptus and birch trees. These chocolates cost more than a Hershey bar but are definitely worth it.
Collect and Recycle Traditional Candy Wrappers
Even if you hand out eco-friendly candy, chances are you or your kids will receive tons of traditional candy wrappers. Traditional candy wrappers are rather difficult to recycle because of the “size, weight, and material mixture.” One solution is to recycle these little wrappers in bulk.
Consider enlisting the help of your neighbors, family members, or friends. Together you guys can buy a Terracycle’s Candy and Snack Wrapper Zero Waste Box. Just throw your recyclable plastic wrappers in the prepaid shipping container and send it back to Terracycle. The company will recycle the plastic for you. Terracycle also is known to turn the trash into some pretty impressive things that people can buy like backpacks, lunch boxes, and garden benches. In short, this will help keep your Halloween as green as possible.
Bonus. If you’re looking for more eco-friendly Halloween tips, check back later for eco-friendly Halloween decorations.