The Body SHop has spent two years building a solid supply chainwith Plastics for Change in India to source Fair Trade recycled plastic and plans to integrate these materials across its global recycled plastics portfoolio within three years.

Criticism has been levelled against cannabis producers for using excessive packaging. Now retailers say things are changing.   By Cheryl Chan October 18, 2019 Excessive packaging remains a problem one year after cannabis was legalized, but retailers say change is on the horizon.   Consumers criticized the often multi-layered and single-use packaging of plastic, paper and cardboard for even small quantities of weed.   Greenpeace Canada is also speaking out on what it says is a “missed opportunity” in the battle against plastics and single-use disposables.   “It’s unfortunate that the federal government and provinces are working together on a zero-waste strategy, but can’t create a better model for products they’re responsible for,” said Sarah King, Greenpeace Canada’s head of oceans and plastics campaign. “They could have piloted a model that is more sustainable.”   Licensed producers are responsible for packaging, which has to follow Health Canada requirements, including being designed to show any signs of tampering, to be child-resistant and to prevent contamination and keep the product dry. The packages also have to be large enough to accommodate required labelling information, including the type of product, THC and CBD levels, and mandatory warnings.   B.C. retailers, which receive cannabis products already packaged from producers through the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch, often bear the brunt of customers’ complaints about excessive packaging.   “They feel it’s completely crazy that this packaging is in our stores, and they get pretty upset, and we have nothing — we don’t have a great solution for them,” said Harrison Stoker, VP of brand and culture at the Donnelly Group, which operates three Hobo cannabis stores in B.C.   Retailers say that in the face of stringent federal regulations, and in the rush to market last year, licensed producers took the path of least resistance, defaulting to disposable plastics. But now more producers are making an effort to use sustainable packaging, while still complying with the Cannabis Act.   “There’s some new manufacturers of more environmental-friendly substrates coming into the market,” said Stoker, noting packaging from suppliers from Colorado and California, where the recreational cannabis market is more mature, is starting to be used in B.C.   He also hopes that new products such as edibles, infusions and concentrates, which are to hit the legal market later this year, will have more sustainable packaging.   “We will see a change coming us as (licensed producers) start reacting more genuinely to public sentiment and this environmental snafu.”   Geoff Dear, president of Muse Cannabis, which operates a store in South Granville, said the packaging is evolving. Muse had been passing on consumer concerns to producers, which have been “receptive,” said Dear.   “Some vendors are improving on it. Every so often, you’ll see a product come in a new and improved packaging,” he said, citing B.C.-based Tantalus Labs as an example of a company using more “minimalist” packaging.   Most items in cannabis packaging are accepted in residential blue bin recycling programs, but not all.   Muse and Hobo offer in-store recycling bins offered by Ontario-based Tweed and TerraCycle where customers can drop off discarded cannabis packaging, which are then collected and transformed into plastic pellets.   In a statement, Health Canada said the federal government recognizes plastic pollution is a growing problem.   The regulations permit “wrappers and peel back-type labels as well as flexibility for packaging materials other than plastics” such as cardboard, it said.   “Health Canada encourages the use of innovative and environmentally sound packaging approaches, provided the requirements in the regulations are satisfied.”   King acknowledged the challenge producers face in meeting Health Canada regulations, but says they can still meet those requirements while being greener.   She suggested industry and government implement a reusable packaging deposit scheme that allows consumers to return used packaging to stores, where they can be sanitized, refilled and resold.   “A lot of people that use cannabis already have more a more environmentally-, socially-responsible mindset,” she said. “It didn’t come as a surprise that people would be pushing back against the packaging and feel disappointed in what their options are.”   chchan@postmedia.com

Consumers are choosing brands they think are better for the planet, so it’s important they know what they’re getting. How often are you overwhelmed or confused by labels at the store? Organic, non-GMO, fair trade, cruelty-free ... the list goes on. With mounting concerns about what’s in our products, where they come from, and how they are made, more and more people are craving transparency and sustainability with the things they buy. And it doesn’t stop at the products inside. In a world dialed into the impacts of single-use packaging and disposability on the environment, what’s on the outside counts as well. Brands and manufacturers know if they don’t stop producing widely non-recyclable items, they will be left in the dust. It’s important that packaging labels inform and educate so the public can choose more sustainable brands. However, lack of clear definitions can make it difficult to know what exactly these labels mean, confusing the buyer and opening things up for greenwashing.   Let’s take a closer look:  

Bioplastic

Often represented on packages (as well as other commonly disposable items, such as beverage cups and eating utensils) by leaf symbols and riffs on the recycling Mobius strip, bioplastics are simply defined as plastics derived from natural, renewable feedstocks, unlike those derived from fossil fuels like many of the plastics consumers enjoy today.   Corn, potatoes, rice, tapioca, wheat fiber, and sugar are among these, as are shrimp shells, seaweed, and algae. While the capacity of agricultural land to sustain a robust age for bioplastics is questionable, the sustainable “edge” is that they offset dependence on finite oil reserves. To be called a “bioplastic” in the United States, a material need only be composed of a percentage of renewable material. Defined on a product-by-product basis, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred seal only requires product packaging to contain a minimum of 25 percent bio-based content, and the majority percentage may be fossil fuel-based plastic resins and other synthetics additives.  

Biodegradable or compostable plastic

Subsets of bioplastics are biodegradable or compostable plastics, which are often incorrectly conflated with all bioplastics. Many consumer goods companies are beginning to use "biodegradable" plastic in their packaging as a sort of silver bullet to the plastic pollution issue. The challenge, however, is that this packaging does not actually break down in the real world settings where it is likely to end up.   If a biodegradable package enters a trash bin and ends up in a landfill, it will be covered with other garbage and stripped of its access to sunlight and airflow. In the environment (i.e. roadside, forest, or even the ocean), there is plenty of evidence to suggest this material does not degrade the way it was intended to in an industrial compost facility. Compostable plastics will only break down in a compost site at a rate consistent with other known compostable materials, such as paper, food waste, and yard trimmings, in a highly controlled industrial facility with just the right temperature and microbes, not your backyard pile. There are few (but growing) numbers of composting facilities around the world and many view bioplastics as contaminants. Plus, most biodegradable bioplastics (categorized as ‘other’ plastic #7) are not municipally recyclable. The compostability of plant-based plastics is akin to the recyclability of petroleum-based plastics; they will only be processed if the solutions are accessible. So, improving their viability will require consumer support and more collaboration in the industry.  

Ocean-bound plastic

A number of consumer goods companies have been introducing products and packaging that use what is known as ocean-bound plastic. This is plastic collected within 50 kilometers of a waterway, making it a possible risk to reach the ocean, which can happen in countries with poor waste management. Often comparable to curbside-quality and plentiful to collect, ocean-bound plastic captures the value of litter that very generally might find its way into the ocean, but is not necessarily found in marine environments at all.   Slightly different is the material our beach and ocean plastic division collects directly from marine environments such as oceans, beaches, rivers, and lakes with the help of volunteer NGOs and clean-up organizations. The plastic collected is usually degraded and therefore non-recyclable municipally. Through partnerships with consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies around the world (including the first fully recyclable shampoo bottle made with beach plastic for Head & Shoulders), this, too, has been integrated into products available to consumers.  

Single-material

Most packaging today is not traditionally recyclable because of its complexity. Some flexible packages (pouches, shelf-stable cartons, and the like) are considered recyclable, but an average consumer with access to a recycling option may not be able to tell what type(s) of plastic the packaging is made from. So, packaging producers are attempting to simplify the construction of the packaging to allow for it to be accepted at grocery store drop-points.   While this development makes it much easier to recycle from a technical standpoint, practicality is questionable due to constraints around accessibility and participation. This material is not curbside recyclable and only accepted at the few drop-off points funded by law and intended to recycle plastic bags; consumers hear “recyclable” and think they can recycle at home. This causes confusion at the store and contamination in streams with already weak end-markets. +++ The world is waking up to the fact that essentially any plastic not reused or captured for recycling is at risk for joining the 10-20 million tons that pour into oceans annually. Steering more material away from filling the bellies of fish or turning into microplastics is an effort companies and consumers can get behind, so they need to be informed. We can think about it this way: the next time you go shopping, whatever you buy, two more will be created. One to replace the one you bought, and one to signify the trend. For everything you don’t buy, one less will be there because there is nothing to replace. If you choose brands doing the work to manage resources more wisely, you vote for a future with less waste.

L'exposition Kidexpo ouvre ses portes la semaine prochaine à Porte de Versailles. C'est l'occasion de découvrir les nouveautés écolos autour des jouets. Quelles sont les autres nouveautés du salon ? 

Le programme d'Hasbro JouetCyclage vous permet de recycler les jouets Hasbro hors d'usage.  

  The Tour de Trenton returns for 2019 on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m.   It’s not a race, but a leisurely tour of the city to celebrate all things made in Trenton past and present. Trenton Cycling Revolution has partnered with TerraCycle with support from The Trenton Council of Civic Associations for the “Made in Trenton” tour.   This is inspired by one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, the Lower Trenton Bridge, also known as the “Trenton Makes, The World Takes” bridge.   The ride will focus on the city’s past and present showcasing locations of businesses that speak to the phrase Made in Trenton. The route is 14 miles and will include a rest stop with facilities at the halfway point. A ride themed T-shirt is included with registration for the first 100 riders.   The tour is escorted by the Trenton Police Department and attracts people from neighboring communities as well as New York and Pennsylvania.   The number of volunteers and attendees continues to grow with recent rides having over 150 riders.   This year’s riders will meet in the parking lot of the William Trent House at 15 Market St., Trenton. Ride is $15 with online registration, $20 day-of. Register online at www.TrentonCycling.org   Trenton Cycling Revolution is an all-volunteer community organization, originally founded in the 1990s.   For more information, email trentoncyclingrevolution@gmail.com.

One year after the legalization of cannabis, Alberta retailers and producers are gearing up for the introduction of edibles to the market but aren't sure what to expect.   "The regulations aren't very understood for us right now," said Jayne Kent, who co-owns a Spiritleaf cannabis store in St. Albert.   "We welcome the opportunity to get that literature to see what the products are and understand how they're going to work for consumers."   Health Canada has released its rules surrounding potency, packaging and marketing of edibles, but retailers haven't seen the final products.   "It's a bit of a grey area," said Micheal LeBlanc, manager of a Canna Cabana store on Parsons Road in Edmonton.   "The agency has regulations around flavouring and enticing children, so I'm still curious about how they're going to roll out products like gummy bears or flavoured cookies."   While edibles will technically become legal on Oct. 17, they won't be available for purchase until mid-December, since licensed producers have to submit their products to Health Canada for a 60-day review.   Despite the uncertainty, Aurora, an Edmonton based cannabis producer, has been investing in edibles for the last year.   "We are extremely well-prepared for legalization 2.0," said Aurora chief corporate officer Cam Battley.   The company is rolling out a diverse line of edibles, Battley said, ranging from vaping products to cannabis-infused beverages.   "We are anticipating significant interest among adult consumers in the new product forms. It's a novelty."   'Pioneering an industry'   Edible products could translate into $2.7 billion worth of sales in the next year, according to Deloitte's June report on the country's cannabis industry.   LeBlanc hopes the launch of edibles will be smoother than the introduction of legal cannabis in October 2018, which led to stock shortages and delayed licences for retailers.   "It's a bit of a wild west," he said. "I know we're pioneering an industry, so hopefully it gets rolled out pretty well."   Customers are excited, Kent said, and have been asking for more information.   "People are curious, they really want to see what's coming."   Regardless of the format edibles will take, providing accurate information to consumers will be crucial, she said.   "It is a different way to consume cannabis and we need to be responsible about that," said Kent.   Users should start with a small dose, LeBlanc said, and be aware of how cannabis can interact with other intoxicants, like alcohol.   "We make sure to pass that information along to the customers and always tell them 'start low and go slow.' "   Industry tackles waste   Health Canada's strict rules are meant to keep cannabis out of the hands of children, but have also had unintended consequences.   The fledgling industry is grappling with the waste it generates through packaging, which must be child-proof and tamper-evident.   It has motivated at least two companies, Canopy Growth and High Tide, to create their own recycling system, in partnership with recycling company TerraCycle.   High Tide installed receptacles in its 25 Canna Cabana stores to collect empty packages, said chief operating officer Alex Mackay.  

Posted by Matt Reynolds, Editor, Packaging World, October 17, 2019

• Filed in:
• Flexible packaging,
• Food

  Confronted with questions around sustainability, the flexible packaging industry is working to make recyclable pouches a reality in support of a more circular economy, using the How2Recycle label.   According to the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), flexible packaging already comes with some endemic sustainability benefits that relate to source reduction: less material going into landfills, extended shelf life/reduced food waste with reclosability, and fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to rigid packaging.   But creating a consumer-friendly circular path with recyclability has been an obstacle to flexible packaging. Consumers pay less attention to how a package is made and transported than they do to how they dispose of that package. And until recently, most people threw stand-up pouches in the trash since the multilayer material is verboten in curbside recycling. Now, that’s starting to change thanks to increasing adoption—slow, but certain—of an augmentation to traditional curbside recycling.   Dow’s RecycleReady Technology and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) promoted this new option for packaging manufacturers and brands in the form of in-store drop-off centers for multilayer polyethylene.   By using a certain portfolio of resins, adhesives, and compatibilizers, packaging manufacturers can produce sustainable, recyclable packaging. Flexible packaging using these materials can be easily recycled through existing PE film recycle streams, such as grocery store drop-off programs in the U.S. and Canada.   Also in North America, when brand owners and retailers request RecycleReady Technology from their converters, their final package structure can be submitted to the SPC to qualify for the How2Recycle label. The label instructs consumers to visit how2recycle.info to learn how to use alternative recycling streams to curbside for previously unrecyclable stand-up pouches.   "At least now there is an emerging infrastructure and an emerging stream where consumers, once they're educated, can figure out that they can have the best of both worlds," says Chuck Ditter, Sales Manager, North America, Fresh-Lock, the zipper closure manufacturer on the Kellogg/Bear Naked project. "They'll realize that they can get that wonderful stand-up pouch that we liked so much, and the brand can still get the properties they need out of the film in the package. Ultimately, the consumer now can feel good about being able to bring this back to their store drop-off."   Commercialized pouch from Kellogg Company The Bear Naked brand of granola, a Kellogg Company product, launched a new, fully recyclable stand-up pouch that now "bears" that How2Recycle logo. It was an 18-month journey involving multiple packaging suppliers. There were many materials and components used to manufacture a flexible pouch, and each element needed to meet certain requirements for the entire package to be easily recycled by consumers in the in-store alternative to curbside.   Kellogg wanted a way to make it easier for its loyal customers to recycle their packaging. The target market for granola-eaters likely includes many people who care deeply about the environment and want to recycle their waste whenever possible.   Kellogg had been using a service for its Bear Naked granola packaging that required consumers to sign up for a special program and ship flexible pouches to a location for recycling. That’s a lot of work. Instead, the company wanted to allow consumers to bring used pouches to retail stores, using the How2Recycle program’s store drop-off, which is much more convenient.   However, before that could happen, Kellogg needed a recyclable film structure for its Bear Naked packaging that would be acceptable at these drop-off locations.   Film selection The biggest challenge in recyclable flexible packaging is the film structure. While these packages are lightweight and thin, there are actually many layers of material involved in the manufacturing of films used for flexible pouches.   In order for a flexible package to be dropped off at front-of-store collection bins, a single-source, PE film is needed. Berry Global’s nine-layer Entour™ film structure, a high-density PE material, fit the bill, but it also provided important features beyond recyclability. The film structure surpasses Kellogg’s barrier requirements for shelf life, features a clear window to showcase the product inside, is stiff enough to stand up on store shelves, and can easily be hermetically sealed.   Resin used The film that Berry Global manufactures is possible thanks to innovations from Dow Chemical. Dow’s RecycleReady Technology includes PE resins for film structures that are approved by the SPC for the How2Recycle drop-off initiative.   According to Dow, its RETAIN™ polymer modifiers are compatibilizers that “allow converters to recycle barrier film trim back into film production without sacrificing optical or physical properties.”   Dow also provided a high-performance sealant that helped meet the fast-paced production line speeds for machines producing hermetically sealed packaging.   Color printing method Every facet of a flexible package must fit within the parameters of recyclability. Plus, as packaging materials change to achieve this objective, packaging engineers must make sure other materials and components still function as expected. That includes the ink applied to films, which is important if you want your package to be attractive and on brand.   To capture the attention of shoppers, Colormaster’s registered matte finish was applied to the pouch to reinforce Bear Naked’s brand image. The finish also provides extra heat resistance so the package runs more efficiently on machinery.   Reclosable zipper closure Reclosability is a major feature of Bear Naked’s stand-up pouch. But, it needed to have a zipper that could be recycled along with the special film.   Fresh-Lock developed a unique line of closures that supports sustainability efforts. The Bear Naked package utilizes zipper style 8113 from the Fresh-Lock® 8000 Series.   "Our key to this is that our zipper in and of itself was already low-density polyethylene. So in and of itself it is recyclable," Ditter adds. "The key though, is these film structures and the way our zippers seal to them. We had to do some optimization of our zippers to make sure it worked with this film and sealed well and sealed within the temperature and pressure and time parameters of their process."   Zipper style 8113 from Fresh-Lock’s 8000 Series is specifically designed to seal to recyclable PE films, an attribute that not all closures can properly achieve. As a bonus, these zippers also enable faster packaging machine speeds and reliable sealing to avoid channel leakers.   Sustainability and reclosability are two important packaging features to consumers, and this closure for flexible packaging supports both. In addition to allowing consumers to recycle a resealable stand-up pouch, it also ensures their granola stays fresh. Because nobody wants to eat stale granola bites. Presenting at the Innovation Stage at PACK EXPO Las Vegas, Ashley Leidolf and Holly Dinnill of Dow, Shannon Moore of Kashi, and Paul Wolak of Berry Global explained how a cross-team collaboration between brand and suppliers made Bear Naked’s packaging more recyclable and sustainable.   When the brand was launched in 2002, Bear Naked chose not to use bag-in-box, becoming the first granola brand to be offered in a pouch. Sustainability was important to the brand owners, so the packaging changed from 2008 to 2018 and was offered in a TerraCycle pouch—it was the #1 selling brand with 500,000 units recycled. Shannon Moore, Lead Packaging Engineer at Kashi, said that a few years ago the brand owner came to her and asked what it would take to “go beyond” TerraCycle and get to curbside or store-drop recycling.   Because recycling is also important to the brand’s consumers (most of whom are under the age of 40), Moore said that the number one customer comment has been, “How do I recycle this bag?” When the decision was made to change to a more sustainable package, Moore said the brand wanted to keep the same look for the consumers, so it was important to maintain the production speed and clarity of the package to keep the print enhancements such as surface matte.   The brand was having trouble finding a good solution for a hermetically sealed bag, which is necessary due to the number of whole nuts and dried fruit in the product. Kellogg and Dow already had a partnership in place, so Moore engaged the internal team to find a solution by working with Dow, and she said the project was able to move forward more quickly by working together as a team.   “The first thing we did as a team,” said Moore, "is walk them through our entire manufacturing network, to see how we operated, so that each supplier could work together.”   Paul Wolak, Senior Technical Director at Berry Global, said that when working on the project and taking shelf life into consideration, “we focused on how to deliver a better moisture barrier and better oxygen barrier as a starting place.” The team landed on a mono-material recycle-ready nine-layer structure that satisfied all of the necessary properties.   Said Holly Dinnill, Marketing Director at Dow and the moderator of the presentation, “What we’ve created here as a team is really a multi value-chain effort to create a package that can be fully recyclable and be used with cases that need barrier.”   The brand is on a mission from the top down to comply with 2025 recyclability goals and is now six years ahead of schedule to comply.

1. Show your Halloween spirit with durable, reusable, and recyclable decorations.
   • Choose decorations that you can use year after year.
   • For recyclable decorations, look for plastics that are #1-5 or #7, as #6 and unlabeled plastics are not recyclable. Avoid metallic or glitter-coated decorations, as these cannot be recycled. Questions? Check out icgov.org/recycle.
2. Create an eco-friendly costume.
   • Get creative with what you already have around the house to create a costume.
   • Share costumes with friends.
   • Shop secondhand. Check out our great selection of local secondhand and consignment stores for costumes.
3. Offer sustainable treats.
   • Consider candy options with less packaging, organic or Fairtrade status. Alternatively, offer a treat other than candy.
   • Sometimes individually-wrapped candy is the easiest and safest option. In this case, you can still make a difference by recycling the candy wrappers through Terracycle. Connect with your neighbors to fill up a box to send to Terracycle.
4. For trick-or-treating, collect your candy and treats in a reusable or durable option.
   • Consider a reusable cloth bag, pillow case, or wicker basket (among many other options) to carry your candy around while trick-or-treating.
5. When the festivities end, remember to compost your pumpkins and gourds.
   • To compost at the curb, remove any candles or lights from inside your pumpkin and place it in your organics container (City cart, or personal 20-35 gallon upright container), or in a paper yard waste bag, and then set it at the curb by 7 a.m. for collection on your normal service day.
   •  Residents can also take pumpkins to the Iowa City Landfill’s compost facility to be composted at no charge.

Questions? Call Resource Management Customer Service at 319-356-5151.

I had a real crush on the Landish bars. Nourishing, rich in flavors and proteins, these bars are ideal for getting up at the sunrise, at the snack or before, during or after a sustained physical effort. These bars are perfect to accompany me between the end of my work day and my evening jog. With Landish, the local artisans are also encouraged: this company is Montrealer.

Good moves

Environmental values for Landish

At the heart of the concerns of the young company is the environment. Anxious to reduce its ecological footprint, Landish puts in place some concrete actions:  

• An association with TerraCycle for the recycling of their aluminum packaging (packaging that ensures a certain freshness to food, but is not recycled by municipalities).
• For every online order made in Quebec, Landish planted a tree in the province in partnership with One Tree Planted.

Original flavors

  Landish offers a variety of flavors that can not be more delicious and surprising. I was delighted to find that there is a range of more exotic flavors than the everlasting chocolate and / or peanut butter.   Among the kinds I preferred:

• Chaï Vanille: Perfect for Chai tea lovers, lovers of the autumn season, pumpkin spice latte, suede booties and hikes under a shower of orange and red leaves.

• Mint chocolate: Perfect for winter sports enthusiasts, winter outings followed by hot chocolate in front of the fireplace, wrapped in a fleece blanket.

• Vanilla Coconut: Perfect for dreamers, travelers, adventurers always ready to discover new lands.

  These great bars are made from ingredients such as spirulina, reishi mushrooms and cricket flour, all of which are important protein sources.      

The little one

  Note that the following lines do not change my appreciation of the product and its value. Despite the love I have for these bars, considering my career, including several years working at Anorexia and Boulimie Quebec (ANEB), I can not help regretting the use of certain terms to promote products . Let's hope that the team that seems to really care about the well-being of everyone, who seems sensitive to the reality of people and their hectic daily lives will think about it.   "Avoid bad snacks- Difficult to avoid bad snacks (with images of chips and cookies) - Take control of your diet" reads the website.  

Bad snacks

  The speaker reminds me that there are no good and bad foods. We must rather linger in the place we give them. Eating health should be synonymous with balance. Any food in its place in a balanced diet. Some foods are only there for our pleasure ... and that's okay.   Categorizing foods as bad leads us to consider these foods as rewards, sources of comfort or taboos . Studies show that dietary prohibitions favor obsessions. The restriction resulting from these prohibitions leads to excesses, even compulsions. It's simple, the more we forbid a food, the more we will tend to excesses when it is consumed; not to mention the guilt, shame and / or feeling of failure that may result from this food intake.  

Food control

  The search for control is distressing for many people, especially for people who suffer from an eating disorder. Let's take care of our health, our diet and our body instead of trying to control them. These nuances may seem innocuous or excessive for some, but for me, they seem to me to be impossible to ignore, given my view of the relationship between people and their bodies and food. A relationship too often cloudy. Distorted. Let's talk to people about the pleasure of eating, the pleasure of discovering and the importance of taking care of oneself.  

Where to find Landish products

  In addition to these protein bars, Landish offers a range of protein powders. Landish products are available online as well as in some April.

Have fun this Halloween season while keeping the environment in mind.

Have fun this Halloween season while keeping the environment in mind. Here are a few tips to consider as you prepare for your Halloween festivities:   1. Show your Halloween spirit with durable, reusable, and recyclable decorations.

• Choose decorations that you can use year after year.
• For recyclable decorations, look for plastics that are #1-5 or #7, as #6 and unlabeled plastics are not recyclable. Avoid metallic or glitter-coated decorations, as these cannot be recycled. Questions? Check out icgov.org/recycle.

  2. Create an eco-friendly costume.

• Get creative with what you already have around the house to create a costume.
• Share costumes with friends.
• Shop secondhand. Check out our great selection of local secondhand and consignment stores for costumes.

  3. Offer sustainable treats.

• Consider candy options with less packaging, organic or Fairtrade status. Alternatively, offer a treat other than candy.
• Sometimes individually-wrapped candy is the easiest and safest option. In this case, you can still make a difference by recycling the candy wrappers through TerraCycle. Connect with your neighbors to fill up a box to send to Terracycle.

  4. For trick-or-treating, collect your candy and treats in a reusable or durable option.

• Consider a reusable cloth bag, pillow case, or wicker basket (among many other options) to carry your candy around while trick-or-treating.

  5. When the festivities end, remember to compost your pumpkins and gourds.

• To compost at the curb, remove any candles or lights from inside your pumpkin and place it in your organics container (City cart, or personal 20-35 gallon upright container), or in a paper yard waste bag, and then set it at the curb by 7 a.m. for collection on your normal service day.
• Residents can also take pumpkins to the Iowa City Landfill's compost facility to be composted at no charge.

  Questions? Call Resource Management Customer Service at 319-356-5151.