What makes the Easter bunny hoppy? Great green Easter gifts, with heavenly candies in earth-loving packages. If you’re worried that those things don’t exist, rejoice! It’s easier than ever to find green holiday treats.
Although many Easter items still involve over-packaged plastic baskets with icky plastic “grass,” today’s candy makers are taking significant measures to reduce waste and use recycled products.
The switch was sorely needed. In the U.K. alone, candy Easter eggs have generated more than 3,000 tons of waste each year, according to WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). In response to pressure from consumers, manufacturers are eliminating about 50 percent of the excess packaging while increasing the use of recycled materials, WRAP says.
For example, Cadbury’s foil-wrapped Treasure Eggs have no cardboard box at all, and the company reduced the amount of plastic casing in its Easter eggs, saving 220 tons of plastic. (Cadbury soon plans to use 100 percent recoverable or biodegradable packaging.) Competitors Nestle and Mars have also started making green moves, such as using 100 percent recycled cardboard for Easter Egg treats.
There's a bitter downside. The international chocolate trade, aka Big Chocolate, has a troubled history of cruel and exploitative child and slave labor in places like Africa.
What's a green consumer to do? For sweet and easy solutions, just follow the steps below.
Buy organic. Candies made from fair trade, organic chocolate are pricier, but they’re respectful to the planet (and to the people picking the cacao beans). Look for organic chocolates in foil only, without the plastic trappings and bulky boxes. Try Dark Velvet Chocolate. Or (gasp) forget about chocolate and buy other organic candies, like lollipops, gummy bears, or jelly beans.
Give it a break. To save money and reduce packaging waste, buy large bars of Dagoba or other organic chocolate, break it into bite-sized bits, and wrap it in recycled paper (a sweet art project with your children!), or in wax paper or aluminum foil.
Recycle. A lot of Easter gift packaging can be recycled, including foil and cardboard. So if you do buy that big chocolate Peter Rabbit in the over-sized box, recycle as much as you can.
DIY. Make your own Easter basket with a basket from home or any suitable container—or make one with recycled paper. You can create faux grass with shreds of repurposed paper. If you do decide to buy a plastic basket, just remember to keep it around for next year. Reusing makes life greener every time.
