October is a festive, beautiful month with crisp, dry, sunny days perfect for donning a new sweater and playing amongst the colorful fallen leaves. Children are especially excited for the spooky holiday at the end of the month: Halloween! Dressing up in costumes, going to parties and staying out late to collect as much candy as they can carry, kids treasure everything Halloween has to offer. Some adults relish in the festivities too.
Recycling after Halloween doesn’t have to be a nightmare. By following a few tricks and tips, your family can have all the fun with minimal hassle.
Candy bags and wrappers aren't recyclable and should go in the trash. Leftover candy (if there is any) can be donated to a food bank or other charity. Some dentists will also collect excess candy for charitable organizations.
Stretchy spider webbing can threaten birds and other wildlife. Made from non-biodegradable synthetic plastics, this decorative material must be placed securely in trash bags and tossed with the garbage. If an animal becomes tangled, don't stretch the webbing; cut the fibers with blunt scissors to free it, or contact a local wildlife rescue.
String lighting doesn't belong in either the trash or recycling. Strings of lights tangle in sorting machinery. They also contain copper, a valuable recyclable metal. Drop them off at the Wilson E. Whittaker Recycling Center or a local scrap metal dealer.
Costumes are often made from cheap plastic materials that aren't recyclable. Fabric costumes aren’t either. Purchasing a new costume each year wastes money and materials. Hold onto old costumes, trade them with friends and neighbors or utilize secondhand and thrift shops to donate old masks and garb while finding inspiration for next Halloween.
Jack-o’-lanterns and other organic decorations like squashes should be eaten or composted. Pumpkin spice is a fall favorite flavor. Pumpkins and squash are culinary gold in autumn, hearty and full of nutritional benefits. If cooking the vegetable for dinner isn’t appealing to you, there are plenty of others who will revel in the treat. Add them to your compost bin, or find a corner of the yard to offer your backyard wildlife something to eat. Squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and other small mammals and birds love pumpkins.
Plastic pumpkin buckets used to collect candy are made of a rigid plastic that is not acceptable in curbside recycling. Save and reuse these year after year. If broken, bring these buckets to the Wilson E. Whittaker Recycling Center for recycling.
Animatronic decorations often use battery power. Batteries and electronics are not accepted in curbside trash or recycling and are a major cause of fires in trucks and facilities. Repair, upcycle or drop off such decor at the Wilson E. Whittaker Recycling Center.
Have a safe and happy Halloween, and remember, if you don’t know how to dispose of an item, check the Recyclopedia!
If you would like to have a recycling or waste question answered in a future Trash Talk article, please email Nicole Lydic at nicole.lydic@pembrokecitizenjournal.com
