TOP TIPS TO WASTE LESS THIS EASTER

If you’ve been observing your Lent fast, you’re likely eagerly anticipating a well-earned chocolate treat and some quality family time. Easter is a season of chocolates, hot cross buns, and the classic roast dinner are all part of the celebration. However, these delights often generate a considerable amount of waste.

Here are our top tips to help you enjoy a greener Easter by minimising waste and recycling wherever possible.

Easter Eggs

The variety of Easter eggs available nowadays is truly impressive, with countless sizes and flavours to choose from. Fortunately, enjoying these treats needn’t be accompanied by feelings of guilt about waste, as most packaging can be recycled.

• Most eggs are wrapped in foil, which you can easily recycle, collect all pieces of foil together until they reach the size of a golf ball before putting it in the mixed recycling bin. Top tip: small pieces of foil such as yoghurt lids and stock cubes can be collected in an old jar, once full use a foil tray or large piece of aluminium foil to gather them, the bigger your foil ball, the more likely it will be recycled.
• Cardboard boxes from Easter eggs can go straight into your paper and card recycling bin. They will be turned into new cardboard right here in Greater Manchester,
• Leftover chocolate? If that ever happens, try using it in baking or melting it to create fruity chocolate-covered snacks.

Plastic Recycling

Many Easter treats like hot cross buns, vegetables, and sweets are sold in plastic packaging. Soft plastics aren’t currently accepted in your household recycling bin, but most supermarkets do offer soft plastic collection points. Store your soft plastics until you can take them to the supermarket. A bread bag makes a handy storage solution it may look small, but it can fit a surprising amount of wrappers.

Easter Egg Hunt

Organising an Easter egg hunt is a highlight of the holiday for many families. To make it more sustainable, try using reusable eggs. These can be filled with small treats or toys and, once found, stored away for future years, reducing waste and adding to the fun year after year.

Easter Roast Dinner

Nothing quite beats a Sunday roast, and Easter is the perfect opportunity to gather loved ones for what might be the best roast of the year. To avoid unnecessary waste, keep these tips in mind:

• Buy only what you need to prevent food waste.
• Put veggie peelings and bones into your food and garden waste bin, where they’ll be turned into compost.
• Allow any leftovers to cool down properly before storing them. Over the Easter holidays, these can make for easy meals such as roast dinner pie, sandwiches, or a refreshing spring salad.

Spring Cleaning

If you’re planning some spring cleaning during the holiday, remember you can take any excess waste to your local tip.

Our Recycling Centres are open as usual over the Bank Holiday, from 8am-8pm.
Exceptions include:
– Salford Road which is open 10am-4pm on Bank Holidays
– Newton Heath Recycling Centre (Reliance Street) which is still temporarily closed for improvement works.