People in Britain are expected to eat 123 million eggs this Easter as 65% say that Easter eggs are excessively packaged, according to new research from DS Smith.
The research, which surveyed 2,000 adults across the UK, found that the average adult receives three chocolate eggs each Easter, which generates an estimated 8,000 tonnes of packaging every year.
Sustainable packaging company DS Smith commissioned the research to understand the scale of packaging waste generated each Easter.
The research found that while 89% of people in Britain recycle the cardboard boxes Easter eggs are packaged in, 36% say they throw the egg’s foil in a refuse bin and 17% don’t recycle the plastic box it comes in.
34% of survey respondents say they are confused about what Easter egg packaging can be recycled.
However, the research found people in Britian want to behave more sustainably at Easter. 22% said they choose their egg based on the packaging being fully recyclable, while 26% said they are left feeling annoyed by the waste accumulated.
Of those who don’t normally recycle any of the packaging, 26% say this is because the recycling instructions on the label are unclear and 36% claim they can’t recycle a particular material in their area.
Commenting on the research, Samantha Upham, Senior Sustainability Manager at DS Smith, said: “Chocolate eggs are a lovely part of Easter, with 165 of these treats consumed over the average Brit’s lifetime.
“Decades of progress has had a huge impact on the amount we recycle, with paper and card the most widely recycled materials in the UK. But too much of it is still ending up in landfill and we need to challenge ourselves to do better.
“Simply separating card, plastic and foil after your Easter feast means materials have the best chance of being recycled rather than being sent to landfill. If you’re not certain what goes into which bin, check out your local recycling rules.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, 38% of people surveyed said Easter is one of their favourite holidays purely because of the chocolate.
