When Orange & Black Meets Green & Blue
Trick-or-treat, smell my feet, what to do with this ghost costume sheet?
Ah yes, Halloween is in the air, and by now the neighborhood kids are getting ready for a night of candy and costumes. Between all the Halloween parties and getting the kids ready for the night, recycling may very well be the last thing on your mind. Well not to fret, here is a quick guide on how to recycle the top 5 most popular Halloween items:
Pumpkins: Turn it into Compost. By breaking it up into smaller pieces and throwing it into the compost bin, you are helping the environment. Just please note that if paint or plastic objects have been applied, composting is not a good idea. Instead, turn your newly carved pumpkin into a vase by coating the pumpkin in some PVC glue, pouring in some water and bingo! You have a ready-made pumpkin vase that not only makes for a great centerpiece but will last for a while after Halloween as well.
Halloween Decorations: You can spay paint plastic pumpkin buckets and make beautiful planters or centerpieces for Thanksgiving. Some things to keep in mind and avoid for next year include: One-time-use, disposable items that will not last from one Halloween to the next, Non-recyclable plastics, including Styrofoam, Non-biodegradable materials, Wasteful and non-recyclable packaging.
Halloween Costumes: Is your child’s costume something they can re-wear for a fun themed birthday party? If not, try giving it away to a neighbor with younger kids, or donating it to your local Salvation Army charity. Next year, inspire your kids to get crafty with things they can find around the house.
Glass Drinking Bottles: These party starters can go straight in the recycling bin. Or, better yet, reuse them for beautiful home decorations.
Candy Wrappers: If your candy wrappers are made by Mars/Wrigley or Cadbury, then great news! You can mail your wrappers to TerraCycle, where they will be remade into cool products. Even better- TerraCycle will pay for your shipping, and donate 2 cents for each candy wrapper to a charity of your choice. Sign up and either start a new Candy Wrapper Brigade Team or join one in your area. Get your school or community organization involved! And don’t forget to check out the neat items that TerraCycle makes from those candy wrappers.
If your candy wrappers are made by some other company, then your main option to keep those plastic bits out of the trash are to get creative.
Tom Cherry, CEO and Founder of Remyndr
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