Whether you mark the dates for religious reasons, or just for all the chocolate, Easter is celebrated so many different ways. Whatever your Easter traditions, there are some super simple ways you can choose to be kinder to the environment.
Go palm oil free
Chocolate is everywhere at Easter, but unfortunately a lot of that is made with palm oil. Palm oil production can be devastating to the environment. It’s a leading cause of deforestation and habitat loss for endangered species.
Avoiding palm oil in the things you buy can be a powerful incentive for manufacturers to find more ethical sources, or stop using it altogether. So how do you tell if your Easter eggs have palm oil? It’s tricky. In Australia and New Zealand, manufacturers don’t have to be specific about it – they can call palm oil “vegetable oil” for example. There are a bunch of other names too, which is why it can be so hard to spot, even if you go through ingredient lists with a fine-tooth comb.
Lots of proudly palm-free chocolates will have a note on their packaging. Check out your local palm-free chocolate suppliers, or contact the manufacturer directly to check.
Avoid excess packaging
A plastic toy, inside an egg, wrapped in foil, braced in a large plastic mold, then packaged in a box with a plastic window – that’s a lot of packaging waste for such a small amount of chocolate.
Choosing treats with less packaging isn’t hard, but it does take a bit more thought than a last-minute supermarket run. Make it an event and journey to your local boutique chocolatery, where you can buy treats in paper bags. You can also try making your own chocolate, or buying in bulk. This gives you less waste and more chocolate – you can then make your own gifts in glass jars.
Decorate with nature
If you love a bit of seasonal decorating, go for nature’s finest: DIY naturally dye eggs, arrange real grass and flowers, or paint colourful stones to scatter around the garden for an eco-friendly Easter-egg hunt.
Those plastic decorative grass and baskets won’t last many seasons and will quickly end up in landfill. Instead, hit the op-shops for wicker baskets, and fill them with shredded paper – this can be easily composted at the end of its life.
If you’re feeling extra crafty, these DIY wildflower seed bombs are a gorgeous alternative to a traditional Easter hunt gift.
Donate to an animal shelter
During a time that’s all about consuming treats, consider making a positive difference by organising a charity event, or donating to your local animal shelter. Help the ‘real Easter bunnies’ out there by contacting your local animal shelter and asking what support they need, whether it’s donations, spare blankets and towels, pet food, treats, or toys. Old newspapers are also extremely helpful for lining the bottom of cages.
Kindness and chocolate – what could be sweeter?
This Easter, avoid the usual flash and dazzle (and all the environmental damage) by choosing treats and decorations that are kind to Mother Earth. Think about both ingredients and packaging before you’re tempted by those fancy eggs, donate your old items to help animals and make up your own Easter goody gifts (always so much more delicious anyway). Now that’s a super sweet Easter!
