Buy chocolate eggs with minimal packaging
Most of us indulge in a chocolate egg over the Easter holidays, but you ever think about the packaging they come in? According to Which? the plastic and cardboard packaging is around a quarter of the total weight of the most popular Easter eggs on sale. Look out for eggs that are sensibly packaged in smaller boxes.
Choose ethical chocolate eggs
Reduce the impact of your chocolate treats by choosing vegan and/or Fair Trade. Chocolate made with plant-based alternatives to milk have a much lower carbon footprint, and Fair Trade means that the workers who produced the cocoa were paid a premium which they can invest in their communities to fight the effects of climate change.
Here’s a run-down of the best ethical eggs on the market.
Recycle aluminum foil
Aluminum foil is lightweight and small so to make it easier to recycle, scrunch it into a ball. Keep adding to your ball to make it easier to sort and less likely to blow away before putting it into your recycling bin.
You can check whether a foil is recyclable by scrunching the wrapper in your hand – if it remains scrunched in a ball it is recyclable.
Make your own Easter decorations
There are lots of fun ways of making Easter decorations, from decorating Blown eggs with pens, paints and biodegradable glitter to paper egg decorations and salt dough bunnies.
Once you have a selection of decorations you could try adding these to an Easter tree, these are easy to make by collecting a selection of branches or twigs and displaying them in a vase or large jar. There are some really fun ideas to inspire you here: 26 DIY Easter Tree Ideas – How to Make an Easter Tree (countryliving.com)
Reduce food waste
A study conducted by Tesco and hubbub in 2021 projected that 8,490 tonnes of food would go to waste over Easter, including approximately 6.8 million hot cross buns, 9.5 million slices of leftover roast meat, 19 million leftover potatoes and 20 million leftover portions of vegetables.
Over shopping, cooking more food than is required and not making good use of leftover food means food waste at Easter is a huge issue. Bristol Waste has created this meal and shopping planner to encourages us to use up what we already have before we buy too much.
Go plant-based this Easter
Reduce the carbon impact of your Easter meals by choosing plant-based or lower carbon options. One portion of beef uses nearly 8kg of carbon to produce, compared to chicken which is around 1.5kg or nuts which are <1kg*.
Opt for Fairtrade Flowers
Flowers are another popular gift at this time of year. Look out for Fairtrade options, which are traceable back to the farm where they were grown. Fairtrade certified farms must ensure safety and working conditions for their employees and receive a Fairtrade Premium of 10% for every stem sold, which allows workers to invest in healthcare, education and other social benefits.
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/buying-fairtrade/flowers/
*Source Climate change food calculator: What’s your diet’s carbon footprint?
1 thought on “How to have a sustainable Easter”