Homewood Introduces Trash or Treasure Initiative To Eliminate Waste

HOMEWOOD, IL — Coming off a Halloween holiday on which local trick-or-treaters accumulated large quantities of candy and other sweet treats, the Village of Homewood has announced it is beginning an effort to prevent wrappers from those sugared treasurers from ending up in area landfills.

Village officials introduced a new Trash or Treasure initiative that allows Homewood residents to drop off candy wrappers for recycling purposes to support the preservation of the environment and local green spaces, the village announced.

Beginning with Halloween, the village is targeting seasonal celebrations as a way of trying to eliminate waste that tends to accumulate around holidays. Local residents are encouraged to bring candy wrappers to the Village Hall, where wrappers and other waste can be recycled rather than thrown away.

In a news release, the village said that it is estimated that each year, more than 600 million pounds of candy are consumed in the United States during the Halloween season. Research from the National Retail Federation shows that in 2022 alone, $3.1 billion was spent on candy during the holiday.

Candy packaging materials are notoriously difficult to recycle with the vast majority ending up in landfills, as well as America’s waterways and oceans, research shows. To address this challenge, Rubicon is once again enlisting the help of teachers, business owners, and community leaders around the country in collecting used wrappers and inspiring communities to recycle.

Starting this fall, Homewood’s Trash or Treasure program will run throughout the year with special campaigns around Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and other seasonal festivities in 2024.

Homewood residents can drop off candy wrappers at the west entrance of Village Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays.