In most ways, being a consumer of beauty products is inherently at odds with being friendly to the environment. With its single-use plastics and abundance of packaging materials—that even when made from recyclable materials are simply too small to recycle—the beauty industry is one of the major culprits of waste. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to get your beauty fix while still minimizing your impact on the environment. Becoming a more mindful consumer by choosing brands that are committed to environmentally-conscious practices is just one of the many avenues for making your love for beauty more sustainable.   Beyond minimizing their imprint through eco-friendly packaging, some beauty brands are even taking the lead to make an impactful change at the end of the product life-cycle. Vegan skincare and beauty brand Town & Anchor just teamed up with L.A.-based sustainable handmade jewelry brand CLED for a collaboration that boldly reveals the beauty in repurposing your empties. CLED upcycles to create all of its jewelry. For this collab, the ethical jewelry company has repurposed Town & Anchor's empty face oil bottles to turn them into one-of-a-kind statement earrings. The bottle glass was melted down and then reshaped into an organic oval. The original bottles' biophotonic glass lends a unique black violet shade to the earrings and presents a striking contrast against the gold vermeil posts. Since each piece in The Black Sea Earrings line is handmade, size, color, and shape will vary slightly, making each earring truly unique.   Even as we strive to become more sustainable consumers, the end of the product life-cycle is often not given as much attention as the first step of purchasing consciously. This can be especially detrimental considering the general lack of awareness for how to recycle your beauty products and the fact that more often than not, tossing your empties into the blue bin simply doesn't cut it. If you've already made a habit of buying from eco-friendly brands, you can still make your beauty consumption even more sustainable by committing to more intentional recycling—and upcycling—practices. "Since sustainability is a crucial part of the brand ethos at Town & Anchor, customers can also ship empty bottles back to us to be upcycled into jewelry or be refilled with their preferred face oil and receive 20% off," notes Morris. For those looking to purchase already upcycled wares, 10% of all earring proceeds from The Black Sea Earrings go to the Environmental Defense Fund.   If you feel inspired by these upcycled earrings, there are a handful of ways you can easily upcycle your empty glass bottles at home:  

• Dropping off beauty product empties at a nearby TerraCycle bin
• Repurposing bottles into one-stem vases
• Housing at-home tincture for cocktails or reusing them as incense holders
• Simply refill an empty bottle with your favorite bulk carrier oil
• 

Rubicon Global announces that the company’s first-ever Halloween campaign designed to help educators from across the United States teach their students about the importance of recycling and keeping candy wrappers out of landfills was a success, with more than 450 schools in 49 states signing up for the free program.   The campaign was in keeping with Rubicon’s mission to end waste. According to industry data, $2.6 billion will be spent on candy in 2019⁽¹⁾, and Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy⁽²⁾ for Halloween.   Throughout the month of October, Rubicon ran its first-ever “Trick or Trash” campaign, offering educators across the United States a recycling and circular economy lesson plan, as well as a Candy and Snack Wrappers Zero Waste Box through TerraCycle for students to discard their Halloween candy wrappers within. All of these items were provided free of charge.   Educators were able to download the lesson plan immediately upon sign-up, after which more than 450 Candy and Snack Wrappers Zero Waste Boxes were shipped out to schools across the United States. Once delivered, educators set up their boxes in their classroom, cafeteria, or hallways, and are encouraging students to deposit all of their Halloween candy wrappers in them. Once the boxes get full, educators can simply seal the box and ship it off free of charge using the prepaid shipping label.   “We are absolutely thrilled by the energy and engagement that teachers across the country have demonstrated since we launched the Trick or Trash program, as well as the positive feedback, photos, and posts we have seen on social media as the program has taken flight,” said Michael Allegretti, Chief Strategy Officer, Rubicon Global. “This unique Rubicon Global program showcases to children and teachers across the U.S. that every single person can play a critical role in creating a more sustainable future for our planet by keeping waste out of landfills.”  

For more information, visit www.rubiconglobal.com.

Trick-or-treating may be over, but you probably have enough candy to last until Christmas. Just how much do you really know about those fun-sized sweets?   Author: Lynna Lai Published: 12:15 AM EDT October 31, 2019 Updated: 12:20 AM EDT November 1, 2019   NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — As the little ghosts and goblins bring home a huge haul for Halloween, Dr. Amberlee Taylor of North Royalton Pediatric Dentistry is making sure those treats don't come back to haunt them.   "Chocolate is going to be the best candy, because when you place it in your mouth, it's going to melt away," Dr. Taylor explains. "Anything that's going to stick in your teeth and stay there for a long period of time is pretty much what you do want to avoid."   That makes candies like Blow Pops a double whammy.  The long-lasting sugar of hard candy, plus the chewy center.   Then there's Sour Patch Candy, a triple-threat of enamel-eating sour acids and sugar plus sticky.   And it matters not just which candy kids eat, but when. The best time is right after mealtime.   "When we eat, our saliva builds up and now you're going to go ahead and wash away the chocolate," says Dr. Taylor.   So now that it's practically raining candy in your house, what should you do with all that sugar?   Cleveland Clinic Child Psychologist Dr. Kate Eshleman says to set expectations and adds that it's helpful to give them warnings.   To give you some idea of how much kids can eat, pediatricians recommend a daily limit of 25 grams of sugar for children. That's four mini-Twizzlers, three Twix minis, or two fun-sized Snickers.   Did you know that you can recycle candy wrappers? Well, sort of. At Ganley Subaru in Wickliffe, you'll find a drop-off box to collect candy wrappers that are shipped to a company called TerraCycle, which specializes in recycling hard-to-recycle material.   Sweet ways to make Halloween candy a little less scary for us all.

October 31 has come and gone, but its sticky, sweet remnants live on. Americans buy an estimated 300,000 tons of candy every Halloween—and chances are, at least a pound of it is sitting in your kitchen right now.   From the popular classics like M&M's and Reese's Cups to lesser-celebrated treats like Lemon Heads (which, fun fact, are the most common Halloween candy you'll find in the state of Louisiana), there are always a variety of prizes that follow trick-or-treaters home. Some of them get gobbled up quickly, but there's always that sad, picked-through pile that sticks around until January.   That's the pile you probably end up throwing in the trash. But this year—in the name of cutting back on food waste—we're sharing some smart tips to help you keep your sugary stash out of the landfill:  

1. Give your kids a quick talk about food waste before they head out.

  First things first: Before your trick-or-treaters head out for the evening, remind them to take what they like and politely decline the rest. "Have a chat with your kids beforehand, so they're aware of the inevitable waste," recommends Olivia Youngs, the mom of three behind the Simply Liv & Co. blog. "[They] can do their part to only choose candy they love so that you're not left with a bunch of candy they can't eat or don't like."   The same goes if you're the one giving out the treats: Only buy candy that you actually like, so you can finish up any leftovers. (Here are some ways to do it without spiking blood sugar!)    

2. Keep your candy around to be turned into something else.

  Where some see a forgotten candy pile, Tracy Wilk, a lead chef and recipe editor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, sees endless dessert inspiration. "Anything that's a chocolate-based candy can be chopped up and reused in something such as a frosting, cookie, or brownie," she says. More jelly-based candies like Starbursts and Jolly Ranchers are trickier to recreate, but if you're feeling festive you can use them to infuse your favorite light liquor with a sweet flavor.   Keep in mind that candy tends to have a long shelf life, so you can keep it around for a while until the urge to bake strikes. "By nature, anything that's high in sugar does not go bad quickly. It's just a matter of if water gets in there. Keep it dry and covered, and it will take a pretty long time to expire." You can also store your candy in the freezer and thaw when you're ready to eat.   Once Thanksgiving rolls around, Wilk says that Halloween candy can make a nice dessert or starter on your dinner table: "Halloween candies and Thanksgiving sku's are essentially the same—they use the same colors. Leftover candy corn will still look cute on your Thanksgiving grazing board."   And if it's still lying around come Christmas, Laura Durenberger (www.instagram.com/reducereuserenewblog), the eco mom behind the Reduce, Reuse, Renew blog (www.reducereuserenewblog.com), recommends turning it into a gingerbread house decoration.    

3. Host a candy swap.

  Have a kid who loves Snickers but hates Twizzlers? I'm sure their inverse lives somewhere in the neighborhood. Hosting a candy swap for siblings, friends, and neighbors is a fun way to make sure everyone is happy with their Halloween haul.  

4. Look out for collection and donation boxes around town.

  If all the swapping, baking, and freezing in the world can't get to the bottom of your candy pile, consider bringing leftover sweets to a local food drive.   "Some dentists and businesses put up a candy collection box after Halloween. Kids can stop in and exchange their candy for something else (a coupon, money, or specific item). Usually, the businesses then donate the candy to an organization that will send it overseas to U.S. troops," says Durenberger. She likes to look for participating businesses on Halloween Buyback, and lists Operation Shoebox, Soldier's Angels: Treat for Troops, and Operation Gratitude as organizations that send donations to U.S. troops overseas.   "Additionally, you can contact your local food shelf or soup kitchen to see if they will take candy donations," she adds. "Be sure to include your kids in helping decide where to donate the candy. This can be a great conversation-starter about the importance of being involved and giving back in your area."    

5. Recycle the wrapping.

  For every piece of candy consumed on Halloween, there's a wrapper left behind that can't be recycled. The small, flimsy plastic that most seasonal treats come wrapped in usually can't be recycled. However, recycling company TerraCycle offers a collection box that you can fill with wrappers and send in to them to be broken down and reused.   While the service does cost $84, Durenberger recommends sharing the box with your local school or other community organization and splitting the cost.   See? Leftover candy doesn't have to be so spooky after all. Make this the year you dress up as a sustainable hero and keep it out of the trash.

In early October, Rubicon launched its first ever "Trick or Trash" campaign, a free education campaign designed to keep those Halloween candy and snack wrappers. The idea was to provide teachers and educators with a recycling and circular economy lesson plan, as well as a Candy and Snack Wrappers Zero Waste Box through TerraCycle to help keep all of those Halloween candy and snack wrappers out of landfills and divert them into some sort of recycling stream. According to industry data, Americans will purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy for Halloween. That's a lot of wrappers.   Rubicon is announcing that more than 450 teachers and educators in 49 states plus the District of Columbia signed up for the program. Gemini Middle School in Niles was one of those that signed up.   Seventh-grade teacher Beverly Mendoza said "There are over 1,100 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in my middle school. Students chew gum daily. They go through tons of wrappers within a week, and most of those wrappers end up in the trash. We do a lot within our school to recycle paper, plastic bottles, and are even collecting bottle caps to send to a company that will create a bench out of them for the school. This Trick or Trash program from Rubicon is a great extension of our existing recycling and sustainability efforts and we are excited to be a part of it."   According to Rubicon, the demand exceeded its expectations and was thrilling to see.   "We were absolutely thrilled at the excitement and energy that teachers from across the United States were showing when we launched the program -- and then the positive feedback, photos, and posts we have seen on social media as the program took flight," said Charles Zinkowski, Director of Communications for Rubicon. "This program showcases to children across the U.S. that every single person can play a critical role in helping the sustainability of our planet and keeping waste out of landfills."

We need to talk about Halloween candy.   Public awareness of our plastic pollution crisis is at a high, plastic straws and bags are getting banned in cities and states across the country, and yet there has been almost no discussion about the massive environmental problem that Halloween candy creates. Americans will buy approximately 600 million pounds of Halloween candy this year, spending $2.6 billion on bite-sized candy bars and bags of candy corn. After the holiday, nearly all the wrappers and packages from these confections will end up in landfills, where they’ll sit around for decades or more.   Candy wrappers are very hard to recycle. Like most food wrappers and packages, candy wrappers are not meant to be mixed with bottles and cans and sent to a sorting facility. “They are too small for our equipment to sort,” said John Hambrose, communications manager at Waste Management Inc., one of the largest sanitation companies in the U.S. Most curbside recycling programs prioritize capturing rigid plastics like bottles, jugs and materials that are at least the size of a credit card.   And it’s not just size that’s a problem. It’s what candy wrappers are made from.   “There are so many varieties of candy out there and equally abundant are the types of wrappers,” Jeremy Walters, sustainability manager for Republic Services, another major waste disposal company, told HuffPost in an email. “Though some wrappers feel like paper, they often have a ‘waxy’ or ‘poly-coating,’ leaving it unfit to be mixed with paper for recycling.”   Recycling systems aren’t designed to capture and sort wrappers “because they have little dollar value,” said Nick McCulloch, senior manager of sustainability at Rubicon Global, a waste reduction tech company.   “Recycling is in part about economics — the value of the raw materials you’re collecting needs to exceed the cost of collecting them. Candy wrappers make that math hard because they’re made from low-value plastics,” he told HuffPost. “You’d have to collect tens of thousands of wrappers to help make those economics work.” Nevertheless, a few small efforts exist to curb the waste associated with hard-to-recycle materials like candy wrappers.   In September, HuffPost reported on the launch of the first municipal program in the country that encourages residents to throw flexible plastics, including candy wrappers, in the recycling bin. Eight thousand households in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, are participating so far, and nearby communities will join the experiment by the end of the year. The area uses a recycling facility with the advanced technology to deal with flexible plastics. Most facilities around the country would need millions of dollars to upgrade their equipment.   This month, recycling company TerraCycle launched its first “Trick or Trash” program for Halloween candy wrappers. Initially, school teachers and students could request a free recycling box before the holiday; and once the box was full, they’d return it to TerraCycle, which cleans and breaks down the wrappers to be made into new items. But due to overwhelming demand in more than 40 states, the company had to stop sending out free boxes. Schools can still purchase a recycling box for snack and candy wrappers, but they’ll have to pay TerraCycle $81 to cover the costs associated with recycling these items.   Some food manufacturers have begun to experiment with wrappers made from recyclable materials. In the U.K., Nestlé recently launched its first recyclable paper packaging for a snack bar. The company did not respond when HuffPost asked whether it planned to use this new packaging on other products.   Walters told HuffPost that he worries about this so-called recyclable paper packaging.   “In theory it is a step in the right direction, but ultimately the biggest issue with this packaging is going to be contamination,” Walters wrote. “If you love chocolate as much as I do, you probably have experienced the Earth-shattering disappointment of opening up your chocolate bar and realizing it melted in your bag over the course of the day. Think about the sticky, chocolatey mess inside that wrapper. If that new ‘recyclable’ type of wrapper is soiled with chocolate or other food materials it cannot be mixed with paper grades coming out of the modern-day recycling center.”   So what’s an environmentally conscious trick-or-treater to do?   In the zero-waste Facebook group of which I’m a member, I asked if folks had alternatives to Halloween candy wrapper hell. Several members said they went out of their way to hand out plastic-free treats ― like playing cards made from paper, compostable chewing gum from a plastic-free store, or classic Halloween favorites that come in paper containers (like Nerds, Lemonheads and Milkduds).   “If we all make it a point to support companies and brands who are really tackling the problem of disposability and taking steps to find solutions, we can force meaningful change,” said Sue Kauffman, North American public relations manager of TerraCycle.   Waste Management’s Hambrose agreed, saying that people can make a difference “by purchasing products that use less packaging and recycled materials,” and by sharing their concerns with elected officials.   Individual actions won’t get us very far so long as companies keep churning out candy in single-use packaging, according to Greenpeace representative Perry Wheeler. “It’s time to rethink how we are delivering these products while still making it enjoyable for children,” Wheeler said.   “It is overwhelming to enter the Halloween aisle this time of year and think about where all of this plastic will end up — polluting our oceans, waterways, or communities,” he added. “The cost of inaction on our throwaway culture is just too high to ignore.”   One member of the Facebook group said this is not an issue their household bothers to tackle, despite working toward a waste-free lifestyle. “I have no solutions,” they wrote. “We just deal the best we can.” They added that they try to limit the number of houses they visit to collect less candy in the first place.   Another option is extreme action, like banning all unrecyclable food packaging, not just candy wrappers. Such an effort, however, would not only be unpopular, and therefore unlikely to gain political traction; it’d be tough to enact and enforce.   Bans on plastic straws and shopping bags are highly controversial, and there isn’t a consensus yet on how effective they are. Research published earlier this year found that California’s ban on plastic shopping bags might be driving up sales of plastic garbage bags. And bans on plastic straws have proved difficult to implement.   When we asked Hambrose whether a gigantic trash-hauler and recycler like Waste Management would favor a potential ban on candy wrappers, he was aghast.   “Waste Management would never get between a trick-or-treater and a candy bar,” Hambrose said. “We can’t think of anything more horrifying.”   If it matters to you, it matters to us. Support HuffPost’s journalism here. For more content and to be part of the “This New World” community, follow our Facebook page.   HuffPost’s “This New World” series is funded by Partners for a New Economy and the Kendeda Fund. All content is editorially independent, with no influence or input from the foundations. If you have an idea or tip for the editorial series, send an email to thisnewworld@huffpost.com   This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

Wishing to divert candy wrappers from landfills, a Sherbrookoise has set up about fifty collection points across the province in order to develop them.   The initiator of the movement, the co-founder of PH Effect, Hélène Boissonneault, said she was surprised by the enthusiasm aroused by her approach begun just four days ago.   Many schools of the school board have embarked with us. I find it extraordinary, because I want to spend a lot with children. That way, they are challenged and see that there are things to do with their candy wrappers , she says.         The Sherbrookoise has teamed up with Terracycle, an American company that specializes in the revaluation of materials deemed normally difficult to recycle.   The company we do business with will park benches, watering cans, flower pots ... they use the papers to make recycled plastic , summarizes Ms. Boissonneault. Sherbrook residents wishing to dispose of their treats packages in an environmentally friendly way can do so at the Ecolo Boutique, Celestine Café and Artemire. Collections are also held at the 123Zero zero waste grocery store in Magog, as well as in the eco-centers of Waterloo and Granby, among others.   Twenty schools in Sherbrooke and Magog also participate in the gathering.   We have a new extraordinary option called citizen of the world, so we want to take action for others, for our planet. This is a super simple gesture and super concrete and we are very motivated to participate , says Kathleen Dussault, teacher at Séminaire de Sherbrooke.         Collection points are also in place in Gatineau, Joliette, Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, L'Assomption and Laval.   The collection will end on November 21st.   -With the information of Brigitte Marcoux

When trick-or-treaters show up at your door this Halloween, what are you going to give them?

 

Odds are good that you planned to pass out candy, but it wasn’t always that way. When trick-or-treating only gained popularity in the United States in the 1930s and ’40s, common trick-or-treat offerings included nuts, coins and homemade baked goods. Around the 1950s, candy companies decided to capitalize on the event. They spent decades making inroads on the holiday by downsizing candies into bite-sized packages and marketing them as treats for Halloween.

  Now, Halloween is an annual billion-dollar windfall for candy industry giants. According to the National Confectioners Association, Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy a year for Halloween.  

Even if everyone in the country is handing out king-sized candy bars (and any kid will tell you they are not), that’s a lot of candy wrappers. Most candy wrappers are made of mixed materials: coated paper, polypropylene film or a combination of aluminum and plastic, depending on the candy. It is not cost-effective for recycling companies to break down these tiny scraps of material that, ultimately, are too difficult to sell.

Every Halloween, millions of candy wrappers wind up in landfills. Talk about spooky.  

If you simply must have candy but are concerned about the waste, the company TerraCycle will accept candy-wrapper-waste through their Zero Waste Box program. Order a box (pricing ranges from $43 to $218, depending on the size), collect the waste and ship it back to TerraCycle, where they will separate the wrappers into its component parts for reuse.

There are other reasons to hand out something besides candy on Halloween aside from the waste, though. Besides the health and dental impact (the average trick-or-treater consumes about three cups of sugar on Halloween, which is 27 times the daily recommended amount), children with severe allergies are often excluded from the ghostly fun. The Food Allergy Research and Education organization started the Teal Pumpkin Project in 2014, encouraging households to hand out non-food treats (and indicate that they are doing so with a teal-painted pumpkin, flyer or sign on their porch or door) so that children with severe allergies can have a safe, fun Halloween.   Choosing alternatives to candy on Halloween can be tricky, though. Parents often tell children to toss homemade baked goods. Plus, one of the benefits of bite-sized candy is that it is cheap, and you can buy it in bulk.   If you are willing to be creative, though, there are plenty of non-candy options that your neighborhood trick-or-treaters will enjoy. Here are five alternatives to candy for a healthier, lower-waste and allergy-friendly Halloween.

Finger puppets

Halloween-themed finger puppets are easy to make out of recyclable and biodegradable materials. This DIY from the blog Easy, Peasy and Fun will help you make simple, spooky ghosts out of paper with your family before the festivities begin. Or you can also buy finger puppets in bulk.  

Crayons

Kids love coloring. Use soy wax, beeswax or bits of old crayons, melt them down in Halloween-themed molds and let them cool before handing them out to creative trick-or-treaters. You can even hand the crayons out with these printable Halloween finger puppet templates from the blog What We Do All Day for an extra-fun two-in-one gift.

 

Rope bracelets

Choose a colorful cord and quickly fashion these sliding knot bracelets using this DIY from the blog ManMade. Kids will be scrambling over each other to choose their favorite colors. Hopefully, they will sport their new bracelets for the rest of their trick-or-treating adventures and beyond.

 

Miniature gourds

What is more autumnal than a miniature gourd? Stop by your local farmers market or grocery store to pick up a bulk bag of miniature pumpkins and gourds to hand out to trick or treaters. Kids will love the funny shapes and can keep them on display all season long (as an added bonus, they are both biodegradable and compostable).  

Seed packets

Pique neighborhood kids’ interest in gardening by handing out packets of seeds instead of candy. Even if they cannot plant them until spring, a packet of pumpkins will stay in the Halloween spirit while encouraging kids to ask questions about gardening. Biodegradable, plantable seed paper cut out in Halloween shapes is also a fun option. Mixes with pollinator-friendly flowers are easy to grow and will benefit the whole neighborhood.

 

When trick-or-treaters ring your doorbell this Halloween, surprise them with any of these more sustainable alternatives to bite-sized candy. Their molars, their parents and the planet will thank you.

Soooo many candy wrappers, sitting in a pile in the trash...but wait, you can recycle them thanks to our friends at Loggerhead Marinelife Center!   JUNO BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Loggerhead Marinelife Center's "Unwrap the Waves" program is back for this Halloween season. The center and several other organizations in the area will be collecting candy wrappers to 100 percent recycle.   According to the Environmental Protection Agency, plastic packaging accounts for 30 percent of the U.S.’s solid waste every year.   The center will collect candy wrappers and send them to TerraCycle, who will recycle the wrappers since a majority of recycling centers don't accept candy wrappers. Last year, the "Unwrap the Waves" program collected 19,000 wrappers. Wrappers can be dropped off at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Manatee Lagoon, FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Inc., and Sandoway Discovery Center.   Twenty-nine Palm Beach County schools are also collecting wrappers. Candy wrappers are being collected now through November 11.

Orange Coco zero-waste grocery store in Granby offers a second life to the packaging of treats that will multiply, Halloween requires. The place will be one of the drop-off points where it will be possible to deposit empty packaging for recycling.   "Every little bit counts. Starting this initiative, it may be a big wave, "says Catherine Girard, one of the two co-owners of the Empire Street trade.   His partner, Isabelle Guilmain, recently saw a publication on the social networks of the founders of the project Effect PH. They have partnered with various companies and institutions, mainly from the Eastern Townships, to collect Halloween chocolate and candy packaging. Ms. Guilmain says she liked the idea so much that she contacted them so that Orange Coco was also a base.   Ecocentres in Granby and Waterloo are also included in the list of places where it will be possible to deposit these packages. All of this will be entrusted to the company Terracycle, which specializes in upgrading waste that is difficult to recycle, according to Effect PH, which defines itself as "a medium of inspiration and education for people wishing to make a change in their way of life. consumption, wanting to have a positive impact on the environment and wishing to live a satisfying life ".   Orange Coco has invited its customers on its Facebook page to drop its candy packaging in the tray it will install for this purpose until mid-November. And the news has sparked enthusiasm. It has been shared nearly 200 times. The two associates also passed the message to the schools their daughters attend.   "Despite the zero waste, Halloween, it remains a party for children, said Catherine Girard. Candy in bulk, it's not hygienic in Halloween bags. But it's possible to be eco-friendly by ensuring that candy wrappers are recycled. "