It’s no secret that every family has their own Easter traditions and we think that Easter should be less about consumerism, and more about creating lasting memories with your family. Easter is one of the most joyful days of the year and is the perfect excuse to indulge in a little extra chocolate whilst spending quality time with the family. However, while we all love to indulge, there are a few ways you could enjoy an eco-friendly Easter!

The Basket

Think outside the basket (pun intended) this year and use what you have to collect your Easter eggs! Do you have an old basket? A bucket? A pillowcase? A produce bag? A toiletries bag, even? If you’ve said yes to any of the above, then you’ve got yourself an Easter basket!

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

You can’t do Easter without decorated eggs. And what’s better than naturally dyed eggs? For pink eggs, use beetroot; for orange eggs, use yellow onion skins; for yellow eggs, use turmeric; for dark blue eggs, use blueberries; and for brown eggs, use ground coffee or black tea bags.

The steps are simple:

Combine 2 cups of water and add 2 tbsp white vinegar. Bring to a boil.
Add your natural ingredients and lower the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes then allow it to cool.
Strain the dye before adding the eggs. Let the eggs soak for at least 30 minutes until it reaches your desired colour.
Remove with tongs and air dry or pat dry with paper towel.

The Easter Grass
Use shredded paper to fill your Easter baskets. Run any kind of paper through your home shredder – newspaper will work too! Unfortunately, shredded paper cannot be recycled but that’s ok – add it into your compost bin after Easter!

The Plastic Packaged Hot Cross Buns

It’s hard to look past all the hot cross buns packaged in plastic… and one day, we hope that all the big chain supermarkets will boycott packaging fresh bread and bakery items in plastic! Head to your local bakery to see if they have fresh, unpackaged hot cross buns available. Better yet, round up the kids, find a recipe and turn it into a fun activity!

Choose Fairtrade chocolate

Buying Fairtrade Easter eggs and chocolate products helps to protect farming communities in developing countries and makes sure that your products were made under fair, safe and healthy conditions. Don’t forget to compost or recycle aluminum or paper chocolate wrappers!

Recycle your Easter egg foil!

Did you know that aluminum foil is 100% recyclable? Aluminum is a highly recoverable material that can be recycled without any loss to quality! After you’ve unwrapped a delicious Easter egg, don’t dispose of it in your regular bin, pop it in your recycling bin!