Easter and Sustainability

So we made it to Easter! Whatever you celebrate this spring and however you do it, let’s bring more joy to the year and more kindness to our planet. The traditional Easter activities many of us are familiar with are often very wasteful or have a negative impact on our environment, so if you are marking the occasion in some way, here are a few ideas for making this your most eco-friendly Easter yet… 🥚🐰🐣🌸

• Egg hunts – The bread and butter of any Easter celebration! Whether you are planning a family celebration or a small, distanced party, consider how you can reduce the waste from your hunts. Maybe it’s using refillable egg shells for hiding sweet treats that you can keep and use year after year? Maybe its hiding non-edible items such as wooden eggs or natural items which could then be used to create an Easter decoration or as seasonal toys? Get creative with your hunts to ensure less ends up in the bin at the end…
• Chocolate – For many, Easter just isn’t the same without some kind of chocolate egg. However, many commercial eggs come with lots of excess, often unrecyclable packaging or else contain ingredients which have damaging consequences for our environment. If you can, try sourcing eggs where the packaging can be recycled, such as cardboard or even recyclable plastic. In many cases, the foil around the egg can be recycled too (check local recycling and see How To Recycle Egg-cellently This Easter | Recycle Now) – if you can scrunch the foil up without it springing back, then this can be recycled. Try to avoid foil that springs back, as this means it contains an added plastic lining and therefore cannot be recycled. Good news for that Crème Egg obsession! 🍫Additionally, if you really want to reduce the impact of your chocolate, pick a more ethically sourced egg such as Organic varieties (to reduce the effects pesticides and other chemicals on wildlife and the landscape, for example Green and Black’s Organic range) or palm-oil free/ sustainably certified chocolate (try Cocoa Loco’s Giant Marbled Easter Egg as a palm oil-free, organic and fair trade option. See more at Organic chocolate Easter eggs | Where to buy them in 2021 | Soil Association).

• Decorations – In the same way we used natural winter materials to craft handmade Christmas decorations, we can use the beauty of spring to make natural, plastic and waste-free decorations. Twigs can be made into wreaths, spring flowers into seasonal bouquets and larger sticks into Easter tree decorations. Once used, add to your compost or garden wildlife area so nature can reclaim them. However, always bear in mind that wildlife is very busy at this time of year building nests and feeding young, so limit disturbance when foraging and only take small amounts of natural materials that aren’t being used – remember that an animal’s habitat is more important than decorating your home for a short amount of time.
• Party – If you are able to have a small gathering this year, consider the sustainability of your partyware. While using your own crockery is less wasteful, in present circumstances you may wish to take an alternative approach. Choose partyware which can either be recycled or easily broken down, such as paper plates and cups and wooden cutlery. The best options are 100% paper/cardboard/natural materials, in contrast to paper based products with a plastic topping, so that they can be put in your recycling or compost heap. Try Simply Eco Party Plates and Napkins — Meri Meri UK Retail for biodegradable plates and napkins.
• Cards – After the festivities, reuse your Easter cards by recycling the back, keeping the front side and using them next year to make new cards or to use as labels for Easter gifts. Saves money on buying cards next year as well!

However you spend your Easter, I hope you have a great time! See where you can reduce your impact by eliminating waste, embracing natural or getting creative, and enjoy the joys of the season. Happy Easter! 🐥