It’s the spookiest time of year. Trick-or-Treating produces a lot of waste. Americans buying 600 million pounds of candy each year and the majority of candy wrappers end up in landfills. Make Halloween sustainable with some treats with a sweet taste that benefit the Earth.
During this time of year, a sweet tooth is encouraged, so how can we practice the Halloween tradition and keep our eco-footprint low? By picking candies from brands that support the environment, use sustainable ingredients, and give back to the planet.
Candy wrappers are a problem year round, but with the $600-million spike in candy sales around Halloween the problem is highlighted this time of year. Candy wrappers are an issue because they are too small to sort out easily and many are composite materials made of unrecyclable paper and plastic blends.
If you choose traditional candy this Halloween, consider pitching in with your neighbors to buy and use a Terracycle Candy and Snack Wrappers Zero-Waste Box. Starting at $95, Terracycle’s mail-in boxes get special handling to make your Trick-or-Treat cleanup a success for the planet.
Earth-Positive Candy
Alter Eco is an excellent choice for this year if you’re looking for chocolates to pass out. This company uses regenerative farming techniques at their cocoa farms and provides carbon footprint information about their brand ot customers. In 2022, Alter Eco released a sustainability report explaining their progress. Last year, they kept 17.7 million wrappers from reaching the landfill. Choosing their product helps them, in turn, invest in more regenerative agriculture and food sovereignty for their partners.
Alter Eco offers a variety of regeneratively farmed candy choices, so take a moment to sample grab-bag candy options. Some of the treats perfect for passing out include their Assorted truffles, Salted caramel truffles, Assorted nut butter bombs, and Dark chocolate truffles. The to please any chocolate-loving trick-or-treaters!
Equal Exchange is a Fair Trade candy maker supports small farms, giving people educational opportunities to help the build a more sustainable and fair food system. The company also holds citizen-consumer events to help customers understand climate justice and how they can be a part of Earth- and socially-positive change.
Equal Exchange make an amazing array of milk chocolates for those of us looking to pass out full sized candy bars. Their Caramel Crunch is a wonderful treat, but they mainly focus on dark chocolate with flavors for every taste, ranging from Mint with Crunch to Extreme Dark. If you are looking for a change of pace, try the organic coconut milk chocolate bar.
But if your Halloween preferences include chewy treats, explore the all-natural gum and mint options from Simply Gum. Available in many flavors, from classic mint to ginger and coffee, pick some sustainably packaged treats for yourself and the kids. Simply Gum products come in recyclable cardboard packaging and tins. Start with a variety pack to see what you like or order the delicious sweet maple gum, classic mint, or sugar-free classic bubble gum. Wow Trick-or-Treaters with small tins of cinnamon, peppermint, or ginger mints.
Tree Hugger is another choice for plastic-free lollipops and gum. The company makes bulk vegan candy that can supply the heaviest Halloween traffic. Tree Hugger’s tubs of gum come in fruity and berry flavors, with 120 pieces in each container. Don’t miss trying their lollipops; available in natural fruity flavors with 40 pieces per bag. Though we don’t think they are suitable for passing out, choose the bubble gum-filled candy drops to treat yourself on October 31st.
If you have kids with allergies, YumEarth candies are nut-free, vegan, organic, and suitable for people suffering from common allergies. If you’re part of a household or know people in your neighborhood who have allergies, YumEarth is a great choice. The company makes a variety of candies, including packs of fruit snacks, gummy bears, lollipops, fruit chews, and hard candies. You can be confident that this company produces organic and safe candy for almost everyone.
The Day of the Dead Candy Wrapper
A sustainable Halloween can save you and your Trick-or-Treating guests from cleaning up rafts of plastic and paper-plastic composite wrappers after the snacks have been consumed. The best thing we can do is choose responsible candy brands, recycle our waste, and encourage people around us to join in on safe, environmentally responsible fun this year.
Choosing sustainable treats is no longer a challenge, but keeping yourself from eating them all will always be hard!