Cut down on eggs-tra waste

Millions of us will celebrate Easter this weekend by munching on a chocolate egg or two, but how many of us have stopped to think about the extra waste we are creating?


An estimated 10,000 tonnes of packaging will be thrown away over Easter in Britain – the equivalent weight of 1,500 London buses.

Warwickshire-based Charity Garden Organic is urging people to think twice before heading to the bin and throw Easter egg packaging on the compost heap instead.

Jane Griffiths from Garden Organic said: “Landfill sites are rapidly filling up unnecessarily and it is really important that people start thinking now of other ways to deal with their waste.

“Many people don’t realise that the foil, plastic and card that their Easter eggs come in can all be put to good use.

“We would urge people to consider recycling the foil and plastic packaging and putting the cardboard in the compost bin.”

The Waste & Resources Action Plan (WRAP), said retailers are taking big steps to reduce the amount of packaging used for Easter eggs, but consumers can still do their bit.

Helen Hughes, who advises retailers and brands on packaging minimisation and recycling, told edie: “The work the brands and retailers are doing in terms of their Easter egg packaging is a great step forward in significantly reducing the amount of packaging material sent to landfill and helping to tackle climate change.

“Consumers want to see a reduction in the amount of packaging on their Easter eggs while still wanting a gifting experience, so it’s great to see that the brands and retailers are responding to them.

“As well as buying Easter eggs with reduced packaging, I’d also encourage everyone to recycle their Easter packaging wherever possible.”

For more information and advice on composting, visit www.gardenorganic.org.uk

To check where you can recycle Easter packaging waste in your local area, visit www.recyclenow.com

Kate Martin

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