Recycle
Mylar isn’t easily recycled. For every metallic balloon that brings ‘joy and happiness’ to a birthday or significant event, almost 100% of the time it ends up as a disaster for our oceans or landfills. Mylar is plastic and NOT biodegradable.
Most local recycling centers don’t have the ability or choose not to recycle Mylar for two main reasons. First, this flimsy-type of plastic easily gets caught in the recycling machinery, leading to all sorts of problems including disruption of recycling operations. Second, Mylar balloons are “multi-layered,” meaning that the plastic layer is fused with a metallic foil layer. Waste management centers have a very difficult time separating the two layers, therefore making the Mylar material impossible or too expensive to recycle.
However, not all is lost for Mylar! A growing company called TerraCycle®️ has made it their goal to “make the un-recyclable recyclable.” TerraCycle offers “Zero Waste Box” solutions for difficult-to-recycle waste that cannot be recycled through standard recycling processes. The idea is brilliant! Customers can purchase the All-In-One Zero Waste Box ™, Kitchen Separation Zero Waste Box ™, or Party decorations Zero Waste Box ™ from TerraCycle, fill them with their Mylar and flexible films or wrappers, and then ship them back to the company to be accurately treated. TerraCycle then turns this Mylar waste into plastic pellets which are used to create other things, such as benches. Please consider purchasing or sponsoring a box now for your home, school or business – visit TerraCycle HERE. Mylar IS recyclable with Terracycle!