5 Easy Ways to Celebrate Easter More Sustainably

Like all other holidays, Easter is another time where we search for, and shop items to celebrate the occasion.  Easter baskets, gifts, toys, chocolates - every where you look when you enter at shop at this time of the year, you see bunnies and chicks. It's hard to resist the amount of chocolate and cute gifts, but there are certainly ways we can celebrate Easter with less waste to be more environmentally friendly.

1. Choose Sustainably Made Easter Eggs

Chocolate eggs are the first thing most of us think of when Easter comes to mind, and there are a few small but significant choices you can make when buying your chocolate eggs this Easter:

• Minimal or no plastic packaging
• Sustainably and ethically sourced and made chocolates
• Recycle the foil wraps by rolling into one big ball so that the smaller foil bits are not lost in recycling. This also helps avoid contamination of other recycling materials if mixed with other recyclable materials

2. ... or Make Your Own Easter Eggs!

If you're not a fan of chocolate, or simply want to explore other options, you can make your own Easter eggs. Choose free range eggs if possible, hard boil them to minimise breakage, then naturally dye the eggs to add some vibrant colours! If you have too many eggs left over, you can turn it into an egg salad, or try other delicious egg recipes. And don't forget to compost your egg shells! 

3. Opt For Environmentally Friendly Gifts

Apart from chocolates, the temptation of all the adorable, sugary Easter themed gifts that fill the shelves of supermarkets and stores draws you in. There are however many more healthy, eco-friendly, reusable alternatives to your typical Easter gifts:

• For kids, Poppy and Daisy offer a beautiful range of plastic-free and sugar-free Easter gifts that they'll love and enjoy for hours during the school holidays
• For adults, choose sustainable, reusable gifts that help make our environment more sustainable, and encourage the recipient to choose more waste-free options too!

4. Use Eco-Friendly Decorations and Tableware

If you're entertaining for Easter festivities, choose more environmentally friendly options to create your perfect festive atmosphere that's better for our planet.

Avoid balloons - balloons are generally not good for the environment as they often end up in our wildlife, waterways, or the oceans. As the balloons start to decompose, they become smaller pieces which animals mistaken for food.

Whether you choose to make your own or purchase decorations (because we know that not everyone has the time!), make it your priority to choose materials or items that are better for the planet and can be reused, like using real plants and flowers instead of artificial ones!

You can also celebrate with less food waste by ensuring leftover foods are stored.  Also, opt for reusable tableware rather than single-use, disposable items such as plastic cutlery, tablecloths, plates, and cups - it's not only better for the environment, but will likely to look better too!

5. DIY Easter Baskets

If you have kids and are planning an Easter egg hunt, instead of buying an Easter basket that will only be used, have a go at make your own Easter baskets out of your used paper!

You can find a guide to making your own Easter basket here, but instead of using new paper, reuse the paper you have lying around, then add stickers and decorate with coloured pencils and markers!

Festive times of the year can lead to a build up of waste, but with so many reusable, more eco friendly options now readily available, it's not too hard to find ways to celebrate with just as much fun while being more environmentally friendly! Let us know any other suggestions you may have for a more sustainable Easter!