I’m sure it was only Christmas last week, but here we are, in April, and gearing up to celebrate Easter!
There are a few tips you can utilise to minimise your household waste production this Easter. In the UK more than 8,000 tonnes of waste is generated from Easter egg packaging and Easter cards — I don’t think Easter cards are a big tradition here in Australia, but waste from chocolate feasting certainly is.
Easter Waste Tips
• Make your own hot cross buns or buy them individually and ask for them to be placed in your reusable bread bag or other bag. If you do buy them in plastic bags remember to recycle the bag through the RedCycle program.
• Avoid buying egg-cesively packaged Easter eggs. They may look pretty in a moulded plastic shell that is then placed in a cardboard box and tied with a ribbon, but who wants that much of a barrier between themselves and chocolate? There are some bulk shopping venues selling loose, unwrapped eggs which are a great choice, or stick to plain, alfoil-wrapped eggs, because:
• Aluminium foil Easter egg wrappers are recyclable! Scrunch them together until they are the size of a small fist and pop in your recycling bin (this is to ensure they smaller wrappers don’t get lost in processing). If you only have a small amount of foil, place it inside an aluminium can instead of making a ball.
• Invest in a good Easter basket for your kids rather than buying a cheap one every year. If having a themed basket that gets used just once a year seems a bit of a waste, pick up a second-hand cane basket and decorate it as needed.
• Ditch the fake plastic grass filling for lining your baskets. Try DIY shredded paper, straw, a nice scarf or piece of fabric instead.
• Avoid over-catering and wasting food at gatherings. Plan your menu, shop local when you can and stick to your shopping list. Distribute leftovers amongst guests, feed the chooks or compost the rest of the scraps.
• Going away for the break? Remember to pack your reusable water bottles, coffee cups and shopping bags!
