November 1, 2013

2 Min Read
Cast Off Your Candy Corn

Around this time of year you see a windfall of writing pontificating on the relative merits and evils of candy corn. This is one of them. As the similarly ubiquitous but disgusting Peeps have survived -- even thrived -- by glomming onto one day on the calendar (Easter. Duh.) candy corn seems to justify its existence by its now de rigeur association with the beloved holiday of Halloween. Not that it isn't trying to broaden its portfolio. According to Wikipedia, "Indian corn," "reindeer corn," "cupid corn" and "bunny corn," distinguished largely by variations in color, are a thing and even now are extending candy corn's reign of terror throughout the year.

In its' take, USA Today postulates that that among the insidious "candy's" many sins is that it will not biodegrade. Not sure I buy that (corn syrup is nasty stuff, but not so nasty that it will not break down -- ask those ants in your driveway), but it does seem like a confection that we could safely source reduce without anyone getting too upset. In fairness, since it's generally packaged in bulk, candy corn is probably more environmentally friendly than its individually-wrapped, "fun size" brethren, but come on; who is handing out fistfuls of loose candy corn on Halloween? Crazy people, that's who. More often, the stuff sits in a bowl, untouched, and gets dumped in the trash just after the last jack-o-lantern is extinguished. We have made great progress as a society and have developed the ability to imbue our candy with, you know, FLAVOR, as opposed to the cloying, waxy (candy corn boasts actual wax as an ingredient) nondescript sweetness of candy corn. Expend those calories on a Reese's instead and call it a day.

Have your own (no doubt better) ideas for making Halloween more sustainable? Post it in the thread in our forum.

Stay in the Know - Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Join a network of more than 90,000 waste and recycling industry professionals. Get the latest news and insights straight to your inbox. Free.

You May Also Like