Cracking the Easter egg-cess packaging problem

I don’t know what the Easter equivalent of Scrooge is, but I feel a little like one for raising this topic. What’s not to like about a chocolate treat done up in attractive packaging? It brings out the kid in all of us.

I can still remember the truck-shaped Yorkie Easter egg packaging from my childhood. The combination of truck, cardboard and chocolate clearly blew my tiny 1980s mind.

Posh packs aren’t all they’re cracked up to be

But the modern equivalent of such excess packaging seems indulgent when the race for the planet’s resources is more intense than ever.

Plus, when you find out that 62% of Easter eggs on sale this year is just packaging, according to research by MP Jo Swinson, you’ve got to ask whether it’s worth all that fancy card, plastic and foil.

Easter eggs can manage without much packaging anyway. Apparently, Cadbury’s boxless Easter eggs are no more prone to breaking than boxed ones. And people are still eating them, with sales up by 75% since 2008.

Hatching a plan for less packaging

MP Jo Swinson has been looking at Easter egg packaging since 2007. And this year she found that the amount of packaging has remained static since last year. Some brands are doing well, with Cadbury’s, Mars and Nestlé using less plastic than they used to. But Bailey’s, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Thorntons are still using lots of plastic.

Of course, it’s not just about the amount of packaging, but also the type of packaging. It’s still difficult to recycle plastic, and though some councils are improving, it would be better if Easter egg manufacturers didn’t give us the problem in the first place.

So, are you happy with just a bit of foil around your Easter egg? Or do you hanker for something a bit swankier for your Easter treat?

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