Merici College Green Tip #9 - A Lower Waste Easter

Sustainability at Merici

Australians will spend more than $3 billion this Easter.

Have you noticed just how many single use items come along with Easter each year? 

With a bit of careful planning, you can reduce your waste whilst still enjoying all the traditions and treats of Easter. 

Here are some tips for having a lower waste Easter:

Easter egg foil

The Australian Aluminium Council reports that aluminium (unlike plastic) can be recycled endlessly without compromising any of its unique properties or quality. 

However, in order to be captured during the recycling process, the aluminium piece needs to be quite large – small pieces of Easter egg wrappings would be lost in this process, but you can fix this by: 

  • Saving all your Easter egg wrappers and making them into one large Easter egg ball (at least a tennis ball size is preferred). 
  • Keeping an aluminium can and putting all small foil pieces into the can until it’s full before popping it in the recycling bin.

Cardboard boxes with plastic windows

  • Make the effort to tear the plastic window away from the cardboard so that both the cardboard can be picked up in the recycling process. 

Unfortunately the plastic window will need to go in your landfill bin. 

Go reusable

  • If your Easter plans include a picnic or hosting at home, skip the single use items and go with good quality reusable decorations, crockery and cutlery. 
  • Some good quality metal baskets for Easter egg hunts along re-usable decorations can meet your Easter decorating needs for years to come. 

Sources: Australians will spend more than $3 billion on Easter chocolate and other food, research shows | Australian Food News (ausfoodnews.com.au)

How to have a waste-less Easter - Brisbane Sustainability Agency (sustainablebrisbane.com.au)

 

 

Felicity Maher
Sustainability Officer

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