Cracking ways to celebrate Easter sustainably

Easter is a time to celebrate and enjoy, but can also cause a lot of increased waste for households due to Easter egg packaging, indulgent meals and decorations.

In the UK it is estimated that 80 million Easter eggs are sold each year, generating around 3,000 tonnes of packaging waste.

On average the packaging makes up 25% of the total weight of an Easter egg, but there are some plastic free options available and other ways to make Easter weekend more sustainable.

Choose sustainable decorations

When it comes to Easter decorations, there are plenty of eco-friendly options available:

• use natural items such as flowers, plants and branches to create centre pieces and wreaths;
• purchase decorations made from sustainable materials such as bamboo or recycled paper;
• avoid flimsy or single-use plastic decorations that you can't use the following year.

Avoid single-use plastics

Single-use plastics are a significant source of waste during Easter, so to reduce this waste try:

• avoid buying items that are wrapped in plastic or come in plastic packaging;
• to choose items that are packaged in paper or cardboard;
• buying items in bulk to reduce packaging waste.

Last year Mars Wrigley UK introduced a 142-ton reduction of packaging across its Easter eggs collection, with a further 6-ton reduction in plastic packaging.

There is also a range of plastic-free Easter eggs available this year from Hotel Chocolat, Cocoa Loco, Ocado and Chococo.

Make your own Easter treats

By making your own treats and eggs you get to have a fun experience whilst also reducing waste.

Making your own allows you to avoid excess packaging and reduce the amount of rubbish that goes to landfill.

Recycle your waste

Some waste is inevitable, so when you do end up with excess waste, you can make sure to recycle as much as possible.

Many Easter items such as cardboard packaging, plastic containers and egg cartons can be recycled.

Reduce your food waste

Whether it is from your Good Friday chippy tea or the big Easter Sunday dinner, you might have a few leftover bones, cut-offs, peelings or uneaten items. Some ways to reduce food waste over Easter includes:

• try use as much as you can before putting it into your general waste;
• use leftovers to make stock, casseroles, stews, soups, or a treat for your pets, where suitable;
• put cut-offs and peelings into a compost if you have one;
• buy less food by considering whether it will be eaten or whether the portions are too big.