Across the UK some 80 million Easter eggs are sold every year. That’s a lot of delicious chocolate but also a lot of card, plastic and foil packaging, and too much of this still ends up in landfill. It is estimated that this generates over 5,600* tonnes of card, foil and plastic a year - equivalent to the weight of around 600 double decker buses!
To mitigate this we have put together some top tips on how and where you can recycle your Easter waste, either at home or at your local supermarket. All of the materials you do recycle can be transformed into new products, giving them a new lease of life.
- Easter eggs packaging - ideally try to look for eggs with minimal or no plastic packaging but if this isn't possible you can recycle the cardboard and hard plastic wrapping in your kerbside recycling for collection, but remember to flatten them to save space.
- Easter egg foil - many Easter eggs come wrapped in pretty foil. We are happy to say that this too can be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin. Simply scrunch the foil into a loose ball, but if it springs back open when you try to scrunch it, this means it’s laminated and should go in your general rubbish bin.
- Sweet wrappers and cellophane wrapping - these plastics can’t go into your main recycling bin but you CAN take them to a local supermarket for recycling along with plastic bags and other types of thin plastic wrapping.
- Easter cards - many people do still send Easter cards and like Christmas cards can be recycled along with their envelopes in your recycling bin - providing they don’t have glitter or foil on them, in which case they should go in your general waste bin.
- Easter food - Families and friends often get together at Easter and with entertaining comes food, and often food waste if we’ve overestimated how much we’re going to need! Visit the Love Food Hate Waste website for some delicious recipes and inspirational use of leftovers. And don't forget that we will soon be be collecting food waste at your kerbside as we have already started rolling our food waste collections across the District. And finally don't forget to recycle your food waste packaging too!
- Buy local: Consider visiting your local shops and markets when shopping for your food, drink, or Easter treats. As well as supporting our local economy, buying local has a lot of environmental benefits too. For example,
By taking these small steps you are helping to make a big difference. Thank you.
Find out what you can recycle at home
* According to a study by BusinessWaste.co.uk
Image: WRAP
WRAP is a global environmental action NGO working to create Circular Living for the benefit of the climate, nature, and people.