Rubicon announces the launch of its annual Trick or Trash™ campaign, a program designed to help reduce the waste that accumulates every year around Halloween. The company provides safe and easy-to-assemble recycling boxes to schools and small businesses, which can be filled with discarded candy wrappers and other packaging and simply returned once full to be disposed of in a way that avoids landfilling.
According to industry data, $2.4 billion will be spent on Halloween candy in 2020(1), and Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy(2) every year for the holiday. In 2019, Trick or Trash™ saw more than 470 schools in 49 states participate in the program, and in the process diverted an estimated 4,000 pounds of wrappers and packaging from landfills and oceans.
“Last year’s campaign was a huge success and we are looking to expand its reach and impact in 2020,” said Nate Morris, Founder and CEO of Rubicon. “Helping the next generation understand the challenges associated with waste reduction and recycling is a priority for us, and for our partners. Trick or Trash™ is our way of teaching younger people about the critical importance of recycling to the future of our planet, and we have a lot of fun while doing so.”
This year’s campaign also features an educational component that is customized for different age groups. Lesson plans, fact sheets, and even lunch box reminders can be downloaded from the Trick or Trash™ website. These materials were designed for both in-person and distance learning, in recognition of limited school attendance in some parts of the country due to COVID-19.
“Indiantown Middle School is in a rural community in western Martin County, Florida. It is a small town with one grocery store and two stoplights,” said Mrs. Siddhi Gullickson, a teacher at the school in Indiantown, Florida, and a participant in Trick or Trash™ 2019. “Taking part in the Trick or Trash™ program from Rubicon showed our students that ALL of us can make a difference wherever we are, and we can work towards recycling and conserving our resources.”
In 2020, Rubicon will be assisted in raising the awareness and educational scope of Trick or Trash™ by a new program partner, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). “Educating and inspiring the next generation of environmental and wildlife champions is central to our work and mission at the National Wildlife Federation. We’re proud to partner with Rubicon on the Trick or Trash™ campaign to show millions of Americans how small steps, like reducing waste and recycling, can help recover wildlife populations and restore natural resources,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “By bringing together students, teachers, and business owners to reduce waste from contaminating our lands and waters, we will both ensure healthier communities for people and save habitat for imperiled wildlife.”
Trick or Trash™ runs for the entire month of October and participants can request a recycling box at www.trickortrash.com. The box can be set up in classrooms, cafeterias, hallways, or in a place of business, and all Halloween candy wrappers are then deposited in it. Once the box is full, it can be sealed and returned free of charge using a prepaid shipping label that Rubicon provides.
“We were thrilled by the energy and engagement that students and teachers across the country demonstrated during Trick or Trash™ last year, as well as the positive feedback, photos, and posts we saw on social media,” said Michael Allegretti, Rubicon’s Chief Strategy Officer. “This unique program shows that every single person plays a crucial role in creating a more sustainable future for our planet by keeping waste out of landfills.”