Small changes in our behaviour can save unnecessary waste ending up in landfill. This can be even more impactful over holiday periods such as Easter!
Refuse waste from the start
One helpful way to reduse waste is to avoid buying commercial decorations or excessive packaging from the beginning. Instead, consider making your own Easter baskets, chocolate eggs, and hot cross buns.
Avoid single-use plastic
Avoid the plastic bags that hot cross buns usually come in or buy them from a bakery and bring your own container or ask for a paper bag that can be composted or recycled at home.
Avoid fancy packaging and unnecessary food waste
Fancy packaging often costs more and contributes to unnecessary waste. When buying Easter chocolates try to reduce the amount of packaging where possible.
Planning meals in advance can also help reduce food waste and buying whole foods that suits your family size will reduce leftovers or if you have leftovers, use them to make another meal.
Reuse items at home
Giving items you already have at home a second life instead of buying new is a great way to reduce waste at this time of year. Look for products and packaging made from recycled materials or buy second-hand decorations from charity shops.
Opting for reusable alternatives like cloth bags or wooden eggs instead of disposable, single-use items can reduce your footprint while reducing the need to create new products that require consumption of natural resources and result in greenhouse gas emissions.
Repurpose and get creative
Instead of tossing out leftover packaging, reuse or repurpose it. Old boxes, containers, gift wraps, or fruit punnets can be used to package gifts, Easter eggs, and homemade treats.
If buying chocolate eggs, try to purchase larger eggs with less packaging and avoid individually wrapped smaller ones.
Recycle Easter waste right
The aluminium foil from Easter eggs is a precious resource that can be recycled many, many times and should be scrunched into a ball about the size of a golf ball before putting it into the recycling bin.
You should place smaller pieces of foil into an aluminium can to prevent them from being lost during the recycling process.
Recycle cardboard and food scraps
Cardboard boxes from egg packaging can be recycled in the yellow bin. Food scraps from preparing Easter meals can go in the compost bin.
