Consumers urged to consider waste this Easter

As people are celebrating Easter this weekend, consumers are being urged to consider their waste and impact on the environment.

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, commented, “Easter can traditionally be quite a wasteful time, but by buying Easter eggs with less packaging or choosing homemade alternatives, we can reduce the amount of packaging we throw out. Recycling were possible, or even re-using some of the packaging, can help capture the value of the materials.

“Over the Easter weekend many of us will be celebrating with friends and families and it’s easy to buy too much and end up wasting food. Planning meals in advance and making use of the leftovers can help save money and reduce our impact on the environment.”

Zero Waste Scotland predicts that in Scotland alone this year some 225 extra tonnes of waste will be produced from Easter eggs – the equivalent of 190,000 Easter bunnies. The organisation is urging people to consider recycling and choosing options with less packaging.

Photo: Adam Wyles via Flickr 

Further reading:

Green Investment Bank announces £50m waste and recycling fund

Report: tackling food waste should be a priority

Grocery sector launches campaign to tackle household food waste

Tackling food waste on World Food Day – infographic

Campaign aims to end food waste from landfill by 2020