Candy Wrappers Can they be Recycled?
By: Maria Garcia Manzano, AEIC of the Quill
Photo Credits: Google Images
Halloween means candy, candy, and more candy! Pumpkin-shaped chocolates, sour gummies, sugary sweet lollipops, the list is endless. Tons of sweet treats line the shelves at the grocery store this time of year. My sweet tooth is calling, but does the planet approve? Earlier this month, I said I was part of the 4R Waste Ambassador program and that I would provide tips on conscious waste diversion techniques. With Halloween fast approaching, these are a few things to keep in mind.
Most of our favorite candies are wrapped in not-so-eco-friendly materials that make their way into the Eastview landfill, even when dutifully placed in the recycling bin. These colorful little wrappers are simply too difficult to recycle. Furthermore, they can contaminate other recyclable material and, as a result, should not be placed in a recycling bin.
You may ask yourself, But why? Aren’t wrappers made of recyclable materials? No, unfortunately, that is not the case. As mentioned before, they are made up of multiple materials mixed together, making it difficult, tedious, and expensive to recover each material for recycling.
On another note, Manitoba is not participating in the Recycle Everywhere program. By downloading the app on your phone and recycling your empty beverage containers, you can be entered into a draw to win cash prizes! Downloading the app is easy, and uploading proof of recycling is even easier! All you need to do is take a picture of the beverage container as well as the barcode. Once it is approved, you are entered into the daily, weekly, monthly, and 4-month draw. Recycle Everywhere is an easy and rewarding way to have recycling on your mind constantly!