This year’s Trick or Trash™ recycling and education campaign, designed to help reduce the waste that accumulates every year around Halloween, is continuing to divert candy wrappers away from landfills as schools, small businesses, and community organizations across the country encourage kids and adults alike to recycle their Halloween candy wrappers.

The campaign, now in its third year, provides safe and easy-to-assemble recycling boxes to schools and small businesses, as well as a critical educational component, co-created by Rubicon and the National Wildlife Federation, that focuses on the role of recycling within the circular economy. The educational materials include K-12 lesson plans, a reading list for university and college students, and a useful factsheet for business participants.

For this Trick or Trash Spotlight, I spoke with Milli Conley, a STEM, Freshman Integrated Science, AP Environmental Science, and Ecology teacher at Paintsville High School in Paintsville, Kentucky.

What drew you to participate in Trick or Trash?

I was introduced to Trick or Trash through my involvement in an AP Environmental Science teacher collaboration group.

What do Paintsville High School students enjoy most about Trick or Trash?

My students have enjoyed the friendly competition among class periods and are really excited that their contributions will be recycled into new products!

How do you teach the Trick or Trash lesson plan in school?

Using the Trick or Trash lesson plan, my students were able to see what happens throughout the process of recycling and synthesized ideas about products their recycled wrappers could create.

What are the most common questions that you get from students, parents, and other teachers about Trick or Trash?

The most frequently asked questions regarding Trick or Trash are “What happens to the wrappers when we’re finished?” “Whose job is it to recycle these?”

Finally, what has been the most common candy wrapper in your Trick or Trash box so far?

It’s clear from our candy wrappers gathered so far that Starbursts are a group favorite. Overall, Trick or Trash was a great way to introduce our students to recycling and sustainability and we’re looking forward to next year!

Katie Kinnear is Director of Engagement Strategy at Rubicon and was the inspiration behind creating the Trick or Trash campaign. To stay ahead of Rubicon’s announcements of new partnerships and collaborations around the world, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or contact us today.