I love chocolate Easter eggs, I’ve loved them ever since I was in school and everyone would bring those big cardboard boxes with large shiny, foiled eggs for each other. I also remember spending frustrating amounts of time painting eggs shells and making a mess. I didn’t and don’t celebrate Easter, but many of our friends included us, and once we were involved in an Easter egg hunt too.

Easter has developed, like most holidays and celebrations, into something more commercial and I cringe at the thought of how much cardboard and plastic must be mine that’s filling the ocean or landfills. Being more thoughtful around holidays is a vital way to stay responsible and environmentally conscious.

Unfortunately, Easter ends up contributing to pollution with plastic as well as carbon emissions due to plastic wrappers, and how much chocolate is produced and shipped across the world. What is good is that many companies are aware of eco conscious consumers like us and have reduced their plastic packaging.

Being sustainable for Easter doesn’t mean missing out on all the fun! Here are some ways you can try to make Easter more thoughtful and sustainable.

Try to go plastic free if there’s one thing you do. Plastic is absolutely everywhere – plastic grass, plastic toys, plastic wrappers and plastic eggs. Plastic is even in our blood and food. Plastic egg shells get left outside or, along with baskets and toys, thrown in the bin. Many of them are also thrown in the recycling bin, which is a problem because a lot of coloured plastic can’t be recycled. And more to the point, recycling doesn’t really work. If you are an Easter egg hunt fan collect the eggs at the end of the day and let your hunters know they’re reusable. If they don’t want to keep the eggs, they can give them back to you to save for next time.

There are many sustainable Easter egg alternatives that you can use like paper eggs which are biodegradable and wooden eggs, which can be reused or composted. Eco Eggs are made from recycled plastic and can be reused too. You can also try shredding paper for grass and recycle or compost it at the end of your celebrations.

Invest in baskets that last rather than the colourful plastic ones that are tempting and easy to buy. Getting one that’s more durable makes sense, and it can be fun to decorate, even if it’s more of a classic wicker basket. You can add fabric lining to it and use it for flowers or other items the rest of the year. There are some great, durable baskets available second hand and in charity shops, so extra points for thrifting!

Egg fillers can be useful items rather than plastic junk (even though those little yellow chicks are so cute). Perhaps fill with wooden puzzles, hair ties, coins or seeds. Seeds are also a great teaching moment where children, and adults, can spend time planting their own seeds after the hunt or at home. You can also wrap fairtrade chocolate eggs in foil. Tip: clean foil and scrunch it up before putting it in recycling bins.

Egg decorating is a great game and can be less wasteful than a hunt if you use real hen eggs. Plastic painted eggs will end up in the bin after some time, but real eggs painted with non toxic or organic dye can eventually be composted. Make a small hole in the bottom of the egg and let the white and yolk fall out (save this for a cake). And paint! You can even make your own paints with beetroots, spinach leaves and turmeric.

Local eggs are a much better option than eggs from a larger superstore. This may be very difficult for many of us, we don’t all live near a farm, but a quick search online could surprise you. Local markets and nearby farms may offer eggs from hens that are kept in better conditions.

Fairtrade and slave free chocolate is key for a more sustainable Easter. A lot of groups like Nestle and Cadbury’s don’t have the fair practises they claim to, which is also why their chocolate tends to be cheaper. They also use a lot of plastic in their packaging and palm oil (which facilitates deforestation). Uswitch did a study which revealed how the high street loved Easter Eggs are the least environmentally friendly, including Cadbury’s and Nestle (KitKat and Yorkie).

Here are some great sustainable Easter eggs:

• Chococo
• Buttermilk
• Tony’s chocolonely
• Happi
• Cocoa Loco
• Montezuma
• Booja Booja (available at Holland&Barrett)
• Moo Free

If you know of any more ethical, sustainable and thoughtful Easter Eggs, please share in the comments.

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