Return Technologies relaunches Trick or Trash Halloween recycling for classrooms

Return Technologies is bringing back Trick or Trash, a free classroom program that lets teachers recycle Halloween candy wrappers through mail-back boxes. The relaunch aims to keep mixed-plastic wrappers out of landfills while giving students a hands-on recycling lesson.

Why it matters: - Halloween candy spending is expected to reach $4.1 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation. - Most candy wrappers are made of mixed plastic and foil, which curbside recycling cannot accept. - The program gives classrooms a no-cost way to keep wrappers out of landfills. - The program also turns post-Halloween waste into a practical lesson in recycling and conservation.

What happened: - Return Technologies announced the return of Trick or Trash™, a Halloween candy wrapper recycling program for classrooms. - Teachers across the country can sign up now at Trick or Trash registration to receive a free mail-back box. - The company timed the rollout for Halloween celebrations. - The program is available to classrooms nationwide.

The details: - Each classroom receives a free Trick or Trash box for empty candy wrappers. - Students fill the box with wrappers after Halloween. - Teachers ship the full box back at no cost using the prepaid label inside. - Return Technologies recycles the wrappers instead of sending them to landfill. - Renaud de Viel Castel, co-founder and CEO of Return Technologies, said Halloween leaves behind millions of wrappers that most recycling programs cannot take. - de Viel Castel said Trick or Trash shows students that what they throw away can come back as something useful. - de Viel Castel said the program costs teachers and schools nothing to take part. - Boxes are free while supplies last. - Retailers and brands interested in sponsorship can contact Return Technologies online.

Between the lines: - The relaunch revives a program first launched in 2019 by the team that later founded Return Technologies. - Trick or Trash reached schools, businesses and community groups in all 50 states before pausing in 2024. - The program fits Return Technologies' broader waste-management and material-recovery pitch by creating a visible, classroom-friendly recycling experience.

What's next: - Teachers can register now for boxes ahead of Halloween. - Return Technologies will depend on classroom sign-ups and sponsorship interest as supplies last. - The company is positioning the program as both an education tool and a recycling effort that can scale during the Halloween season.

The bottom line: - Trick or Trash tries to turn one of the country's biggest candy-trash moments into a free, simple recycling lesson for students.