Insights

Being frightfully sustainable this Halloween

October is Halloween month, where the ghouls and ghosts run amok, collecting treats from the generous and tricking those who refuse to partake. “Spooktacular” festivals permeate our TV channels and events calendars. Jack-o-lanterns, spiders, webs and bats dwell in every window. Indeed, this is the scariest month of the year.

We can’t help but be reminded that recycling can be scary too. While many of us appreciate the necessity of it, too few feel able to make the commitment to learning about their recyclables, sorting those recyclables from waste, and maintaining separate dedicated bins. Furthermore, having to take your recyclables to a branch or buy-back centre can be daunting, as can dealing with waste management service providers.

However, there’s really nothing to fear from recycling. The steps are logical and easy to follow. You won’t even need to get your hands dirty!

So, let’s turn out the lights, rouse the spirits, and conquer recycling fears, together. 

We see used packaging.

The materials

When it comes to recycling, knowing what can be recycled is as essential as not letting black cats cross your path. Many materials are recyclable, including paper, cardboard, glass, metals, and certain plastics. Even your used packaging materials, such as cardboard boxes from decorations, paper bags from Halloween treats, and bottles (glass or plastic) from Halloween parties, can be Frankensteined to new life through recycling.

By recycling these materials, you keep them from contributing to the horrors of our landfill crisis and pollution, while helping to conserve natural resources. And because old packaging becomes new packaging through the recycling process, it’s truly like reanimating the dead. 

The danger of waste compels you!

The necessity

Recycling is not just an option; it’s a necessity – a silver bullet for the werewolves of landfill and pollution. With the vast amounts of waste generated daily—especially during the Halloween season, with all those costumes, decorations, and party supplies—it’s crucial that we manage it responsibly to protect our environment. In South Africa, the recycling industry is vital in reducing waste that ends up in landfills, where it’s likely to linger, like a lost spirit unable to cross over.

In South Africa, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy, legislation has been put in place as mentioned at the International Solid Waste Association Congress 2024 (ISWA) Consumer and business-owner alike, we’re “compelled” to care for our country’s economic and environmental future. Not just on Halloween. 

You’re going to need a bigger bin (or two).

Sorting and separating

Sorting and separating your recyclables from your waste may seem like a daunting task, but it’s one of the most crucial steps in the recycling process—it’s actually quite similar to categorising your Halloween treats.

To make things easier, we recommend setting up separate bins for recyclable materials and household waste. You may want to go a step further and separate your recyclables into types of materials. Looks like that spooky mask made out of coloured paper might find a new home after trick-or-treating!

Petco offers a helpful and comprehensive guide on how to collect, sort, and recycle different materials, ensuring that your recyclables are properly managed and ready for processing. So, while you’re waiting for the clock to strike twelve, read this for a bit. 

Trash to some; treasure to others.

Waste pickers in your community

In many communities, waste pickers play a significant role in the recycling process. These individuals, almost like modern-day treasure hunters, often collect and sort recyclable materials from waste bins and landfills, providing a valuable service to the community and contributing to the circular economy.

The South African Waste Pickers Association highlights the importance of recognising and supporting these workers, who turn what some consider trash, into treasure. This Halloween, as you fill your bins with the remnants of spooky festivities, remember that your discarded items could become someone else’s valuable find. 

Who you gonna call?

The private waste management option

If sorting and transporting recyclables seems overwhelming, like a maze you can’t find your way out of, private waste management services can simplify the process. We and our sister company, Mpact Waste Management, offer tailored solutions to manage your residential or business waste/recycling, efficiently. These services ensure that your waste is handled professionally, reducing the hassle and making recycling even more accessible.

Just like the Ghostbusters, neither dirt nor trash nor a giant marshmallow man, will stop these Mpact teams from removing the waste management burden from you. So, if you own a business, or live in a residential estate, and you just want to focus on enjoying your Halloween celebrations without the fright of waste management, Mpact Recycling and Mpact Waste Management are the ones to call.

Conclusion

Recycling doesn’t have to be scary—in fact, it’s frightening how easy it can be! With the right information, the proper tools, and a little bit of commitment, recycling becomes second nature, like vampires sleeping in a coffin, or werewolves remembering to brush their faces. Halloween season is all about embracing the eerie and the unknown, so use it to embrace the recycling process.

So, this Halloween, let’s embrace the simple and sustainable with the horror and the fright. Recycling is a small act, but it has the potential to exorcise past ghosts of ecological harm, pollution, and landfilling for good.

Happy Halloween.

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