Waste Not Want Not: Easter
In our series of Waste Not Want Not we have focussed on events including Christmas and more recently Valentines Day - addressing the waste arising from over buying, entertaining and cooking during such periods. Next we are turning our attention to Easter, but not the waste of food, the considerable waste of packaging.
Easter is of course a Christian festival - a cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus but for many, including those celebrating the religious aspect of the holiday, it’s a time for gifting chocolate Easter Eggs. The origins of the Easter Egg goes back a very long way - throughout history, people have given each other eggs at Spring festivals to celebrate the new season, eggs representing new life.
But while Easter Eggs of old may have been made from decorated hen, duck or goose eggs, the first English chocolate egg was made and sold by Fry’s in 1873. Followed two years later by Cadbury and since then have grown and grown with a huge variety of tasty delights now on offer to gift.
Indeed, a staggering 80 to 90 million Easter eggs are sold in the UK each year. But, hand in hand with this is the fact that the majority of them will be wrapped in copious amounts of packaging.
It is fair to say that in recent years, some of the larger manufacturers have started to reduce their use of packaging - in particular there has been a reduction in the hard plastic shell (if you excuse the pun!) that encased the egg within the outer cardboard box. This is certainly a step in the right direction and of course cardboard is more easily recycled in our household waste.
We are not seeking to be doom and gloom, we are rather partial to a chocolate treat or two ourselves! And particularly for children, Easter is synonymous with chocolate eggs so perhaps the answer is just to pause and think twice before we grab several heavily packaged chocolate eggs from the supermarket shelves.
First and foremost consider buying those with minimal packaging and ensure you recycle or up-cycle any packaging that it does have. For example, if it contains pretty Easter / Spring decorative detail then cut it out - make a collage as a fun family activity or perhaps save and use to make your own Easter cards next year. Foil can be recycled with your cans if you loosely scrunch it up - you're aiming for big enough balls that the sorting machines will pick it up.
If you are planning an Egg Hunt - then hide 'reusable' eggs such as decorated ones or perhaps decorative cards - once all are found there is a fun reward, one chocolate egg or maybe tea-time with a hot cross bun.
Consider ethical brands over the big confectionery manufacturers - there has been an increase in ‘ethical’ brands with green and fair trade credentials who are really working to minimise packaging. For example, Tonys Chocoloney, have a strong ethical stance with their ‘slave free’ chocolate campaign and best still, their products look great in their plastic free egg-box style packaging. If you are a chicken keeper or buy your eggs from a local farm this egg-box can be reused - it’s a win win!
If you are keen to avoid all the excess packaging and waste completely you could consider making your own Easter eggs at home. You can buy egg-shaped moulds from kitchen, home or craft shops and make your own homemade Easter Egg to gift to family and friends.
To make more simply you can melt chocolate and completely fill the moulds, if they are small, to make solid chocolate eggs. Make a mix of dark, milk and white chocolate for a lovely little gift.
Think outside the box (sorry, another pun!) and gift alternatives to chocolate eggs. Maybe books, puzzles or crafting activities - particularly with an Easter theme. Or, perhaps buy seeds to plant and watch grow over the coming seasons - children love this. Another great idea is to buy just one, foil only wrapped, chocolate egg and gift an outing - perhaps to a family friendly farm where you can see, even feed, baby animals keeping the link to Easter and Spring.
A final thought and a super eco friendly great gift - is to make a difference by signing up to a campaign, such as The British Hen Welfare Trust which helps re-home ex-battery hens.
However you are celebrating, please enjoy the Spring Break and we wish you all a lovely but sustainable Easter!
Caroline Bowen-Thomas is a freelance copywriter and proofreader based in Frome. She's the creator behind Frome With a View, an Instagram account that celebrates all things fun to see and do in and around 30 minutes of the town of Frome in Somerset.
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