Eastertime is so much fun! The chocolate, the cute bunnies, the fluffy chicks, and the Easter egg hunt is something we all look forward to. However, it creates so much extra waste through Easter egg packaging, confectionary wrappers and novelty toys.

This extra and often unnecessary packaging of Easter eggs has been a problem for years, however, there is a big effort from retailers and confectionary companies to reduce plastic waste and packaging now. If packaging can’t be recycled, it will go to landfill and this is really bad for the environment. We want to make sure all those cute bunnies and baby lambs have a beautiful environment to live in, don’t we?!

Easter chicks

Easter is about new life, so why don’t you put some new life into old items around the house!

Here we have five ways to reuse and repurpose items to make this a fun and sustainable Easter.

1) Repurpose plastic Easter egg packaging

 Did you know, you can easily repurpose the plastic surrounding of a chocolate Easter egg, or a plastic bottle into an amazing plant holder for spring flowers?

Rabbit plant holder

2) Make your own Easter decorations

Avoid buying new Easter decorations and use your imagination to create eggs-cellent new ones out of items around your home. How about some colourful bunny and chicks made out of old toilet rolls?

Easter toilet rolls repurposed

Or you could fill old candle holders, jars and lanterns with flowers and decorated eggs and put them out on your doorstep so the Easter bunny knows to make a visit!

Easter Flowers in Jar

3) Don’t use plastic eggs, decorate your own!

This is so much fun, and all you need to do ask a parent or guardian to help you hard boil and egg, let it cool, then let your imagination go wild!

painted easter eggs

Why don’t you make a beautiful Easter egg wreath for your front door?

Easter wreath

4) Gift local chocolates

 The mass-produced chocolates you see in the supermarket have excess packaging and have often travelled a long way to get there. Be more sustainable this year by keeping carbon to a minimum and choose local. By buying from a local chocolatier, you are supporting local business, you are choosing quality over quantity, and there will generally be less plastic packaging because it doesn’t need a long shelf life! Delicious!

Easter chocolates handmade

 

5) Make your own Easter basket

You can repurpose any type of basket, bucket or bowl for your Easter Egg Hunt. Have a look around the house – can you find an old wire peg basket? Or, what about an old plastic bucket you once took to the beach? You can paint these into your own personalised Easter basket or stick decorations to them.  Paint sticks better to rougher surfaces, so make sure if it’s a glossy plastic that you give it a rub with some sandpaper first. Also, if you are using paints or marker pens, make sure you are wearing a suitable art smock and have a parent or guardian present.

beach bucket and spade

If you have any questions or ideas, then please get in touch here

 

Have fun repurposing and from the Waste Wise Kids team, we wish you a very Hoppy Easter!