Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter

Are Candy Wrappers Recyclable?Bowl of Candy with wrappers

Halloween is a fun time of year filled with costumes, decorations, pumpkins, and of course treats and snacks! After you claw into that familiar, crinkly packaging and de-mummify the treat inside, it’s important to properly dispose of the wrappers in the trash.

Why Candy Wrappers Can't Go in Your Home Recycling Bin - The Scary Truth

Candy wrappers can't go in your home recycling bin because they are often  made of what’s known as “multi-material packaging.” This means the packaging is made up of different types of materials. You’ll notice most candy has a shiny metal on the inside as compared to the outside. This helps protect and keep treats fresh, but it makes the packaging very difficult to recycle because of the challenge of separating the materials from each other.

Small Wrappers, Big Impacts

Residential recycling programs are designed for items such as bottles, jugs, cans, jars, cardboard, and mail - not candy wrappers. Since the wrappers are small and lightweight, the equipment is often not designed to sort it out. When candy wrappers and other non-recyclables cannot be sorted out, they contaminate other valuable material streams like cardboard, plastics, metal, or glass. When these other valuable material streams are contaminated, it is much harder to reuse them and make them into new products.

What to Do About Your Candy Wrapper Woes

Have no fear - it's never too late to start recycling right. You can directly participate in being part of the solution.

  • Share what you’ve learned. Start by making sure you and other family members know to dispose of candy wrappers in the trash.
  • Protect your recycling bin. Make a fun Halloween sign for your recycling bin that says, “No Candy Wrappers!”.
  • Go Above and Beyond. Research special mail-back or drop-off programs that accept candy wrappers separately for recycling. These innovative new programs are able to separate multi-material packaging and handle candy wrappers when collected separately.
  • Make your own candy. Reduce candy wrapper waste by making your own. Get creative and fun in the kitchen preparing sweet treats for the whole family.

DEC MWRR Grants for Recycling Coordination and Education Projects Accepting Applications!

DEC is now accepting applications for matching grant funding of recycling coordination, education, planning, and promotion projects to be conducted and completed during January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021. Applications must be submitted via NYS Grants Gateway no later than October 30, 2020, by 3:00 PM.

Funding will reimburse up to 50% of the costs of eligible projects including costs of salary for a municipal recycling coordinator, recycling education and outreach tools, recycling advertising, recycling websites, and promotional items.

Applicants are advised that while applications are being solicited for this opportunity, State budget restrictions may be imposed in the future, which could limit or delay the awarding of grants.

For more information on the MWRR Grants for Recycling Coordination and Education Projects. Email RecyclingGrants@dec.ny.gov with any questions.  


Events:


Conferences, Workshops & Public Comment Hearings:


Funding/RFP Opportunities - Application Deadlines


We Want To Hear From You!

Is there a topic you'd like to learn more about or a public event or workshop related to recycling (organics, textiles, traditional recyclables, etc.) you'd like the greater community to know more about? E-mail us at organicrecycling@dec.ny.gov and it could be featured in an upcoming Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter. 


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