Check out our article published on Served about hosting a zero waste Easter. This year, Easter may be a little different to the norm but we should still try keep it plastic free and eco.
Easter Sunday is nearly upon us again! Granted this year will be a little different but let’s look at the positives: no smug cousin Doreen showing off photos of her perfect Easter Sunday banquet to the family and putting your hosting skills to shame; eating in your PJs or simply skipping the food element and going straight to wine; and yes let’s not forget those awkward conversations at the dinner table with estranged uncle Mark (we all have one!).
While this year we’ve been saved from the hosting pressure and the lengthy to-do lists we should still try and consider the sustainable, zero waste element of your Easter Sunday, no matter how you decide to spend it.
So here are a some quick and easy steps to help move this year’s planning along and impress your family members with your beautifully curated sustainable spread via social media.
1. Don’t kill yourself trying to make everything completely zero waste
This is my number one rule when I start getting eco anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. We don’t need people to do eco and sustainable living perfectly, we just need more people to try and start making small changes to their daily routines. In this instance, start making small changes, whether its going completely organic or staying away from Easter eggs wrapped in plastic you’re off to a great start. So don’t be too hard on yourself if you are not completely zero waste; you’re making positive changes and that is what counts.
2. Shop smart
Shopping for food in the current situation is stressful however one positive I’ve taken from this situation is the large number of small business delivering food plastic free, directly to your door! The great thing about ordering from small businesses is that you can have a conversation with them before they deliver and request your order to be plastic free (where possible). Most businesses are able to oblige; so far I found that most of my orders were plastic free and ultimately offered great quality produce directly from local farmers.
3. Ditch wrapped chocolate
I’m a chocolate fiend. In my heydays I could devour a large Easter egg in minutes and then head over to my brother’s corner for his share of chocolate. As I got older, in the midst of my chocolate foma, I began to notice the layers of unnecessary plastic wrapping which left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Thankfully there are plastic free options out there to avoid this unnecessary waste. Buying bulk and loose chocolates avoids this and gives you a great variety of options to choose from, including loose chocolate buttons, my personal favourites chocolate coins and eggs and an infinite selection of chocolate varieties to suit all palettes – you can’t go wrong! We also stock some fantastic plastic free and vegan chocolates, PlayIn Choc that also contain a little plastic free toy the kids can assemble. Opting for little paper bags or reusable boxes of loose chocolates (and why not add in some pastries?) makes a great alternative present to Easter eggs for both adults and children. Not only do they look beautiful and creative (in your face cousin Doreen!) but they significantly reduce the plastic carnage we usually witness after Easter Sunday.
4. Waste free decorations
We all love a beautiful table setting – from the little yellow chick figurines to the colourful eggs. This year why not try something a little different and go for a natural table setting and decorations using items you could easily find around the house or food that can be consumed later. Local fruit such as lemons and oranges are not only inexpensive to buy but they also make a beautiful and colourful table setting for Easter. They also last long however if you don’t think you’ll be able to consumer all the fruit by yourself why not add them to your chocolate goodie bags at the end of the celebrations for your guests to take home? Additionally, if you love eating eggs or are planning a recipe that requires eggs why not use the egg blow out method to retrieve the egg yolk and white without breaking the shell that can then be dyed for decorative purposes! Clean dyed eggs will also last much longer and look beautiful.
5. Reducing food waste
If your family gives locusts a run for their money, then this section isn’t for you. However, if you still have nightmares of having to eat the same old leftovers for a week read on! We all know eating the same food after the celebrations have come and gone can be somewhat unappetising however there are a few ways to reduce this and cut down on food waste. There are tonnes of recipes for leftovers out there (plus you can’t go wrong with a leftover sandwich). Its always a good idea to prep a 3-day meal plan using the leftovers beforehand so you have any additional ingredients to hand to avoid any last minute meal changes or having to order more food.