Writer / Braden Ochs
Photographer / Michael Durr
As the Halloween season approaches, Toxic Waste candy is ready to sour the masses. Candy Dynamics’ brand of candy, Toxic Waste, is celebrating 25 years of sour flavor. Haley Peyron, Candy Dynamics’ senior marketing manager, is proud to have seen Toxic Waste grow so much over the last few years.
“This year is especially exciting with our 25th anniversary, of course,” Peyron says. “But it’s been incredible to be along for the ride as the brand is outpacing other similar items and similar brands that may have been previously the top on the market, but are now being taken over by Toxic Waste.”
Toxic Waste is sour candy known by its yellow Toxic Waste Drum packaging with different flavored candy inside. The candy has a unique double-action sour taste, so it starts sour, turns into a sweet spot, then the center bit takes a turn for the sourest. Toxic Waste has since expanded to a variety of products, including its Slime Lickers, cotton candy and Sour Smog Balls.
Toxic Waste was started by the Indianapolis-based candy company, Candy Dynamics, in 2001, and since then, it has grown to be one of the most sour candies that people can get on the market. Kids all over have expressed excitement over trying the candy, including Peyron, who remembers loving the candy as a kid and starting challenges between friends on how long they could hold a piece of Toxic Waste candy in their mouths.
“It’s exciting to see the fan base that we’re growing, and of course we always love to see people say just how sour our brand is because we really pride ourselves on that,” Peyron says. “We really do love to hear from our fans and we get letters here to our office from kids telling us how it’s their favorite candy and maybe they spent their allowance money on it. We’ll usually send them back a little care package to say thank you for their support.”
When people see Toxic Waste products or look through its website, they might also notice all kinds of characters associated with the different types of candy, like Mr. Toxie Head, Professor Sauernoggin and Dr. Igor Smogg, to name a few. These characters and their stories have become so recognizable to kids and parents around the world and echo its larger brand story, which has been so wonderful from a marketing perspective, according to Peyron.
“When people purchase [our candy], they can read through the story, they’re connecting with the characters in that sense, and it just brings a little bit more fun and builds out the entire Toxic Waste ecosystem,” Peyron says. “It feels like it’s more than just a product. It’s an experience. It’s something you can relate to. It’s something you want to engage with.”
For 10 years, Toxic Waste’s parent company, Candy Dynamics, has been a proud woman-led business with its president, Laura King, at the helm. King is a well-known figure in the candy industry, having sat on the board of trustees for the National Confections Association, which, in a lot of ways, has built the road map for the candy industry at large, according to Peyron. King, representing Candy Dynamics, was also included in the Women Presidents Organization’s 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies of 2025.
“It has been one of the greatest honors of my career to serve as a female president and lead such an incredibly talented team of people in the candy industry,” King says. “Our growth over the past 25 years has been an incredible and exciting journey. As a company, one of the things we love most is seeing the smiles, excitement and happiness our brands bring to our fans around the world. Knowing that the brands we have created can bring a little fun and joy to someone’s day is truly one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.”
As people gather Halloween supplies, there are a lot of places to find Toxic Waste candy in Indianapolis. Some of the bigger retailers include places like Wal-Mart and Five Below, where Five Below carries almost its entire range of products. Toxic Waste candy is also found at convenience stores, like Circle K or Speedway. If people want to explore a full candy store, they can find Toxic Waste candy in a place like Rocket Fizz on Monument Circle downtown.
To explore all the Toxic Waste candy products online, as well as the stories of the Toxic Waste characters, visit its website at toxicwastecandy.com. You can also follow them on social media like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
