5 Examples of Eco-Friendly Easter Egg Packaging

It's that time of year again, Easter is coming and with it all those over-packaged chocolate eggs with big boxes, lots of plastic and…small eggs!

According to many, indeed, Easter Eggs seem to be one the most over-packaged products you can buy. They usually come in huge boxes and involve an incredible waste of plastic, creating 3,000 tons of garbage in the UK alone.

A British Member of Parliament, Jo Swinson, has recently published an annual report on Easter Egg Packaging for the past six years. Apparently, on average only 38% of "what is in an Easter egg box is an egg”.

However, lately more and more Easter Eggs manufacturers are taking action against this waste and are starting producing eco-friendly packaging for the most consumed Easter treats.

So, who are the good guys? Which brands should we buy?

1. Montezuma

Montezuma is a British chocolate company that is Fair Trade and organic. Their wrapping is so simple; there are just two parts. The biodegradable outer shell is made of 70% post industrial recycled corrugate and is compostable. The inner foil wrapping is also recyclable. Well done guys!

2. Nestle

Nestle is the first UK and Irish confection company to have its packaging 100% recyclable. They have dispensed with the rigid plastic inside the box and replaced it with recyclable cardboard. They say it will save 726 tons of plastic from going to landfill each year. Their boxes are smaller too. The plastic "window" that lets you see inside the box is now made of a compostable film, resulting in a 30% reduction in packaging.

3. Green & Black’s

Green & Black’s Easter Eggs also deserve a thumbs up. The UK based chocolate company is always looking to improve its packaging in terms of green credentials.

Their current packaging is such:

• Cartons: 100% recycled board for Easter.
• Plastic Easter Eggs: at present they use a layer of recycled material between virgin plastic due to food safety (they are looking into soya based materials that are fully biodegradable).
• Paper: they currently use paper which is 100% recyclable.
• Inks: wherever possible they make sure that water based inks are used for their packaging.
• Foil: due to food safety standards, virgin foil material is currently used for the wrapping of their block bars and Easter Eggs. This is 100% recyclable.

4. Cadbury

Cadbury Schweppes, which makes half of Britain's Easter Eggs, launched its unboxed "eco-eggs" in 2008 as part of its efforts to reduce 30% of its carbon emissions by 2020.

The foil-wrapped, hollowed out eggs were sold under the Mini Eggs, Dairy Milk and Dairy Milk Caramel labels from molded plastic casing preventing the eggs from rolling around on the shelf. The company said it was using 75% less plastic and 65% less cardboard by not including a box.

5. The Chocolate Line

Today, the Chocolate Line is honoured worldwide as "the number 1 in the world". 20 years ago, Fabienne and Dominique Persoone set their first steps into the world of chocolate and, since then, they have teamed up with their co-workers and engaged to be as ecologically and socially responsible as possible. They use environmentally friendly packaging, so that their clients, as chocolate lovers, can enjoy their pralines without scruples. And their latest Easter Eggs packaging reflects their commitment to sustainability. Bravo!

So, buyer beware the packaging and… Happy Easter!!

Sources:

http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/be-good-little-bunny-and-watch-out-easter-egg-packaging.html

http://www.greenandblacks.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/7251243.stm

http://www.thechocolateline.be/en/

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