Never before have so many multinational confectionary retailers harked on about cardboard content, plastic packaging and recycling potential. It's good news I suppose, but I'm not fully on board.
Yes, it's a step in the right direction that Mars is reducing the amount of plastic in its Easter eggs and is committed to using recycled cardboard - a measure that it estimates will save 12,000 trees - but it has only reduced the thickness of its plastic inserts by 10 per cent. Let's not get too excited. Looking at the press release and the company's new eco logo, see bottom of post, you would think it had found a way of avoiding the use of plastic altogether.
Then there's Cadbury's unboxed eco-egg, a foil-wrapped hollowed out egg. But has anyone seen one? Please tell me you have, because all I can find is the usual rows of plastic and cardboard encased eggs, each one marketing a different chocolate bar.*
Meanwhile Sainsbury's promises that all its 'boxed Easter eggs have reusable, recyclable or home compostable packaging.' I'm wondering how to reuse the plastic insert, or is it supposed to be recyclable? And surely that depends on your council - some accept only PET plastic bottles. I'm also wondering if I'm being a party pooper, about as welcome as a fox at a gathering of Easter bunnies...
I still think that buying little eggs, such as these Fairtrade ones from Divine or these from Green&Blacks, is best. Then you can have all sorts of fun filling china egg cups with them or hunting down alternative ways of packaging them. An empty egg box is perfect or an old yoghurt pot or olive pot, decorated with ribbon or wrapping paper.
If that sounds too much like hard work, go for a Booja Booja chocolate egg (a collection of them is shown in the picture above). It's shell is a thing of beauty as well as being reusable. It is a handpainted gift box made by artists in Kashmir. The chocolate inside is organic, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free, so it's good for you too. Sort of.
* UPDATE: I take it back. I've found them. Very sweet looking too, but still outnumbered by the normal eggs in my local Waitrose.