Easter is fast upon us, and recycling is ever more important, so follow these tips to get the most out of your Easter eggs.
Around 90 million chocolate eggs are sold each year in the UK around Easter, making up around 10% of Britain’s annual spending on chocolate, so it appears that everyone is at least a little bit partial to munching on the treats.
Over the past few years Easter egg packaging has changed for the better – the eggs used to come in a plastic case inside the box for protection, but now they mostly come all in the cardboard box which is easily recyclable.
Nestle was the first major confectioner to make their boxes 100% recyclable in the entire Easter egg range in the UK, and most have now followed suit.
So what can be recycled and how?
Chocolate Easter egg foil can be recycled – just scrunch it up into a fist-sized ball and put it in your recycling bin.
All the cardboard from the boxes or Easter cards, if you get them, can be recycled in the normal way with the rest of your cardboard.
If you do have any plastic in your packaging then check your local advice – if you can recycle things like margarine tubs and yoghurt pots then you can probably recycle the harder plastic, softer plastics like wrap and clingfilm types are collected a lot less.
And if you want to make your home ‘plastic-free’ there are also several things you can do; use reusable bags and choose plastic-free packaging where possible at the supermarket, look for alternative materials for products such as wood, metal or natural materials, use jars and natural materials instead of plastic storage bins, make your own cleaning products to avoid buying plastic bottles.
Try some recipes for homemade cleaning products here.
The government is also asking you to have your say on the future UK recycling plan, fill in the questionnaire here.
You also now have the opportunity to take a tour of a local recycling centre to find out what happens to your waste. Tours will take place at Nuffield Household Waste Recycling Centre in Poole on 15 May and Millhams Community Recycling Centre in Bournemouth on 12 June.
Found out information and book the tour for Poole here, and Bournemouth here.