Easter weekend is almost here, and with a long weekend, Spring sunshine, and delicious chocolate to look forward to, I can hardly wait!
However, due to the popularity of this holiday, many of us unintentionally end up contributing even more waste to the planet by celebrating. According to GWP Group, Easter egg packaging in total generates more than 8,000 tonnes of waste each year, and in many of the UK’s best-selling chocolate eggs, the plastic and cardboard packaging accounts for over a quarter of the total product weight.
Fortunately, though, most UK and European consumers agree that Easter eggs have too much packaging, and 62% would gladly pay higher prices for food products with less plastic packaging. It's great to know that our hearts are in the right place, but until our favourite Easter egg manufacturers take action in reducing the packaging waste of their products, what else can we do to have a more sustainable Easter holiday?
To help you have a more sustainable Easter this year and enjoy your chocolate eggs guilt-free, here are 4 things you can do to celebrate Easter sustainably:
1) Choose Fairtrade
If, like me, Easter is another excuse for you to indulge in your favourite chocolate, make sure you’re buying organic, vegan, or Fairtrade chocolate this year.
By purchasing Fairtrade chocolate, you’re helping the cocoa and sugar farmers who helped grow the ingredients earn fair pay for their work - ensuring a better quality of life for the people involved in creating that delicious chocolate.
Check out the official Fairtrade website to take note of all of the Fairtrade Easter Eggs on offer this year and let me know on Instagram which one you’ll be tucking into! 🍫
2) Reduce plastic waste
Reducing waste altogether at Easter may not be possible, especially if you’re planning on putting up some decorations/hosting your own Easter egg hunt. But, there are extra steps we can take to avoid wasteful packaging and minimise contributing to the 8,000 tonnes of Easter egg packaging waste that piles up every year!
Instead of using plastic eggs for decorations, why not try biodegradable goody bags or even a compostable Easter egg? And if you must use plastic, keep them stored away safely so you can reuse them each year.
3) Enjoy a meat-free Easter dinner
If the Easter Sunday roast dinner is more your thing, why not make yours a little more eco-friendly this Easter by treating yourself to a plant-based roast dinner?
Before you head out to the shops to purchase your ingredients, write a list of everything you need and write down the alternative meat-free options you could try instead. Reducing your meat intake is great for the planet, and thankfully there are lots of options for a tasty plant-based Easter dinner. And if you’re not quite ready to make the leap to a vegetarian diet just yet, choosing organic, free-range options for meat and eggs is the next best thing.
4) Support local businesses
Supporting local businesses this Easter weekend is another easy to way minimise our harmful impact on the planet whilst showing some love to our local communities.
One way to do this is by making an effort to buy your Easter eggs and chocolate from local producers who use sustainable practices, but you can also take a look at any events happening in your area: spending time outdoors and appreciating nature is another underrated way of showing some love to our planet!
I'd love to hear about what you're doing to make your Easter weekend more sustainable - feel free to send me a DM over on the @AllThingsGreenn Instagram and join a community of imperfect environmentalists for inspiration and encouragement on your eco-journey! 🐣💛
At All Things Green, we share simple, eco-friendly tips to help you lead an imperfect sustainable lifestyle.
We believe that ‘small steps are still steps’, and that we can all have a positive impact on the planet - no matter how small.
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Thanks for reading and Happy Easter!
Naomi 💚
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