Easter is one of my favourite times of the year. Personally it is a time to think about God’s goodness and grace as well as recognize my own vulnerability. Ultimately Easter is a time to celebrate the gift of life. Although I love celebrating Easter with bunny-shaped chocolates, colourful eggs, and Easter egg hunts, I recently realized how harmful our celebration of life is to our planet. According to a report the British eat about 80 million Easter eggs each year which creates 4,370 tonnes of cardboard waste and 160 tonnes of foil waste. That’s a lot of waste!
Isn’t it rather ironic that Easter, a day celebrating life, is so harmful to our planet.
Fay van Eeden
Reflecting on our own family’s Easter celebrations I realize sometimes we get a little carried away with the bunnies and the eggs, making us lose sight of what Easter really is about. As well as generating a lot of waste. So, this year our family will still be celebrating Easter, but just a little more intentionally and sustainably. Here are my favourite tips for a more intentional and sustainable Easter celebration.
Seven tips and swaps for a more intentional and sustainable Easter
Buy less and local
Look for low waste and locally made goodies. Fair Trade chocolate, or chocolate that was produced with the environment and workers in mind, are great options. Many chocolatiers make beautiful handmade chocolate eggs this time of the year. I know these eggs can sometimes be pricier than the plastic and foil covered eggs one can buy at the Supermarket, but I think intentionality is opting for quality above quantity. So why not buy less, but better eggs this year. Jack Rabbit Chocolate Studio’s dinosaur eggs are a great option.
Look for recyclable or compostable packaging
Contrary to popular belief, most Easter egg packaging cannot be recycled as they contain a mixture of materials such as plastics and aluminium. When buying treats this year look for packaging that can be recycled or composted. Paper and cardboard packaging is probably your best bet.
Think differently about eggs
Easter Eggs don’t always have to be edible. Why not try wooden Easter eggs. Wooden Easter eggs last a lifetime and are great for Easter egg hunts. Plus, they can be painted and decorated. I bought the most beautiful wooden eggs from tiny tree toys. Chalk Easter eggs are another great alternative to chocolate eggs. I got mine from from Rainbow Sidewalk Chalk SA. Their chalk eggs come in a compostable egg box and will keep the kids busy for hours.
Quality time
The best intentional and Eco-friendly Easter celebration is spending the weekend with family and friends. Why not have a picnic in the garden or park, go birdwatching, or make a bird-feeder or bee-hotel together? Baking cookies or making Easter treats together is a great way to not only spend quality time together, but also cut back on single use plastics. These are the things your kids will remember.
Make your own Easter basket
Get your kids to make themselves a basket for their Easter egg hunt. There are great ideas on the web. We made Amélie one from cardboard scraps last year and she played with that basket until Christmas. The great thing about cardboard baskets is that when their shelf life comes to an end you can recycle or compost them. This year Amélie will be popping her Easter eggs into this cute hand crocheted bunny bag from Hook & Pine Toys.
Think out of the (egg) box
Swap the basket full of eggs for a garden-themed Easter basket full of seed packets, a garden tool set, seedlings or even a small tree. Doing some gardening together is a great way to get the whole family spending time together outdoors.
Have an Easter themed scavenger hunt
If you belong to the Christian tradition consider a scavenger hunt based on the story of Easter. Have your kids search for objects in the house and garden that remind us of the Easter story. Give the kids a list of objects to look for ( just make sure that you do have all the objects on the list in your home or garden). Here is a list of a few objects you can use in the scavenger hunt, but be creative and add more. When your little ones have found all the objects on the list, take some time to explain what each object reminds us of.
→ Something dark: Reminds us of our brokenness and sin.
→ Bread: The first holy communion. Jesus broke bread with his disciples.
→ Perfume: Mary poured perfumed oil on Jesus’ feet.
→ A coin: Judas betrayed Jesus for a few pieces of silver.
→ 2 Sticks: The cross.
→ Something red: Symbolizes Jesus’ blood.
→ A stone: Jesus was placed in a tomb.
→ Something empty: Jesus is Risen. The tomb is empty!
→ A piece of white material: The pieces of white cloth in the empty tomb.
→ Easter Eggs: Eggs symbolize life and remind us of the new life we have in Christ.
May you have a blessed Easter.
xxx
