RJ Heron
Sustainability Engagement Officer
3 minute read
With Easter just around the corner, take a minute to reflect on how your celebrations could be made greener whilst still enjoying them to the full.
1. Cut out plastic eggs
It wouldn't be Easter without a hunt for hidden eggs, but chocolate and plastic eggs that are too well hidden can get lost and could impact wildlife and our environment.
Pinecones make a great alternative, and you can get creative designing them for a bit of added extra fun. When decorating your eggs make sure you opt for non-toxic paints and dyes, you could even get creative and make your dye from common kitchen spices, fruits, and vegetables.
2. Gift an experience
If you usually gift an Easter basket full of chocolates, toys and treats consider if an experience may be better. Get into nature with a day trip to a local farm or wildlife park to see the spring baby animals.
If you don't want to break tradition and would prefer to give a gift, you could try and find a preloved toy in a local charity shop for example. Also, keep an eye out for any other preloved Easter treats like second-hand Easter baskets.
3. Sustainable sweet treats
Although sweet treats are great when enjoyed in moderation, sourcing them from local chocolatiers is a good idea, see if there is anything stocked in your local farm shop to keep down food miles. There is a good chance these will also be organic and fairtrade, which is an added bonus.
4. An Easter feast that's kinder to the planet
A roast dinner is a must for Easter, this year see if you can make plant-based swaps like a nut roast. Keep an eye out in the supermarket for plant-based alternatives, many will offer alternative roasting joints themed around traditional Easter favourites.
It can be easy to get carried away and buy lots of food for an Easter feast but make sure you only buy what you need to avoid food waste. If you do have any leftovers try and save them to eat later or use this tool for some recipe inspiration.
5. Easter cards and décor
Many of us like to send cards over the Easter period, so make sure your cards are recyclable and can be disposed of responsibly. Or you could even try your hand at making your own DIY Easter cards out of scraps of paper and card.
You may have easter décor tucked away from previous years, try and find where it's been safely stored and reuse it where possible. If some of your decorations have been damaged see if you could upcycle them into something new, here is a link to an upcycled Easter wreath for inspiration.
6. A brisk Easter stroll
Finally, if you're planning on visiting family and friends or attending an Easter celebration, think about how you could travel in an active way. With the Spring weather slowly creeping in it may be the perfect time to ditch the car and take a nice stroll.
Whatever your plans are over Easter, we hope you have a great time!