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By Kelly White
Candy has taken on a whole new life at one local library.
The Orland Park Public Library, 14921 S. Ravinia Ave., Orland Park, is happy to announce the launch of its very first Trash or Treasure candy wrapper recycling campaign.
The Trash or Treasure program helps reduce the waste that accumulates around seasonal celebrations throughout the year. The goal is to divert Valentine’s Day and Easter candy wrappers from landfills, enabling plastic to be recycled as part of the circular economy.
“Personally, what I like most about this project is its contribution to waste reduction and environmental sustainability,” Maurya Orr, Chair of the Orland Park Public Library Green Committee, said. “By providing an easy-to-use solution for recycling candy wrappers, we’re not only diverting waste from landfills but also promoting the idea of recycling within our community. I am chair of the Green Committee, because this is something that I am passionate about.”
The Green Committee is a newer staff committee at the library. They are looking for ways to reduce paper usage, plant in The Backyard, and overall lower the library’s carbon footprint.
The candy wrapper recycling initiative was brought to the committee by Orr’s colleague and fellow Green Committee member, Theresa Marketti, who said to have been inspired by the Trash or Treasure program, provided by Rubicon who created in collaboration with the National Wildlife Federation.
The Trash or Treasure program encourages all people to rethink what we consider trash and recognize its inherent value as part of the circular economy, Orr said.
The goal of the program is to reduce waste generated during seasonal celebrations like Valentine’s Day and Easter by diverting candy wrappers from landfills and promoting their recycling as part of the circular economy.
“The success of the project might vary depending on participation levels and the effectiveness of communication about the initiative,” Orr said. “We have hope that community members will like to participate.”
The library lobby now hosts a recycling box, which can be filled with discarded candy wrappers and will divert waste from landfills through reuse, recycling or recovery. The mail-back recycling box provided by Rubicon will be held in the library lobby, and patrons and staff can fill it with discarded candy wrappers. Once filled, the box will be returned to Rubicon.
As a reminder to patrons, not all candy wrappers can be recycled.
There might be limitations based on the materials used in the wrappers. However, with the Rubicon mail-back recycling box provided, the campaign focuses on diverting waste and also looks at reusing materials if they cannot be recycled. Candy wrappers do have to be clean in order to be donated to the library.
The Green Committee is anticipating the recycling box to be available through April.
“This project benefits patrons and the community by raising awareness about the importance of waste reduction and recycling. It provides a convenient and accessible way for people to contribute to environmental sustainability by recycling their candy wrappers, ultimately leading to a cleaner and greener community,” Orr said.
