What Happens When You Burn a Candy Wrapper?Candy wrappers are usually made of plastic, foil, or sometimes a mix of both. Burning them might seem like a quick way to get rid of trash, but bad things happen when you do that—both physical and chemical changes occur, and it can be harmful to people and the environment.Physical Changes• The wrapper melts, shrinks, or turns black as it burns.• The shape and size change, but it’s still the same material just altered. This part is a physical change.Chemical Changes• When the wrapper burns, it goes through a chemical change because the plastic or foil reacts with oxygen in the air.• This creates new substances that weren’t there before, like: • Smoke • Ash • Toxic gasesThese changes cannot be reversed—you can’t turn the smoke or ash back into a candy wrapper.What Gets Released?When plastic burns, it can release:• Carbon monoxide (CO) – a poisonous gas you can’t see or smell.• Carbon dioxide (CO₂) – a gas that contributes to global warming.• Dioxins and furans – super dangerous chemicals that can cause cancer, damage your lungs, or harm your immune system.• Microplastics – tiny plastic particles that can get into the air or water and harm animals (and even humans).If the wrapper has foil (which is made from metal like aluminum), it might not burn completely, but can still release harmful metal particles into the air.How Can This Affect Us?To humans:• Breathing in the smoke can irritate your nose, throat, and lungs.• It can make asthma worse or cause headaches and dizziness.• Long-term exposure can even lead to serious diseases like cancer.To the environment:• The gases contribute to air pollution and climate change.• The ash or leftover melted plastic can pollute soil and water.• Animals might eat the plastic, thinking it’s food, and get sick or die.What Should We Do Instead?Instead of burning candy wrappers or other trash: • Reduce: Try to use less plastic in the first place. • Reuse: Find ways to use things again instead of throwing them away. • Recycle: Some wrappers can be recycled (check with your local recycling rules). • Proper disposal: Throw wrappers in proper trash bins so they go to a landfill or waste facility, not a fire pit or open fire.ConclusionTherefore, burning a candy wrapper may seem harmless, but it actually causes chemical reactions that release toxic substances. These can hurt our health, harm animals, and damage the planet. That’s why it’s important to never burn plastic or foil wrappers, and to find safer ways to get rid of our trash.