You might not have even considered Easter to be a wasteful holiday — after all, there generally aren’t gifts exchanged or the need for extravagant, wasteful decorations, but when you think smaller, you’ll see that even some little changes can make a difference. These are the types of green jobs for which everyone can be up to the task, so let’s take a look at three easy strategies to have a more sustainable Easter.
- Use the Same Basket Every Year
Easter egg hunts were the best when you were a kid, weren’t they? You’d find all sorts of treats and plop them into your basket with glee. Chances are, you never considered the basket itself, but just cared about the treats you dropped inside. Trust us when we say — that hasn’t changed one bit.
It’s easy to be tempted into buying a new Easter basket every year, they’re just so darned cute and only a couple bucks. But they aren’t built to last, and tossing one every year just adds to the growing waste problem and isn’t sensible. You can purchase a good basket that you can personalize each year, or even have a fun project with your kids to make your own. This will make the day a more cherished tradition, rather than just a hunt for candy.
- Ditch the Plastic
After you get your one-time-use basket, you’ll probably grab the frills next to it too. Like that plastic grass that makes the basket look full and seasonal for Spring. Chances are, it just goes in the trash as soon as the day is done. Either reuse it every year, or get creative and replace it with paper from the shredder, or some other material.
As for the Easter egg hunt itself, you don’t need to use the plastic eggs that will inevitably break or get lost, and worst of all — probably can’t even be recycled. You can instead color real eggs with your kids and have them hunt for those with the promise of a basket at the end, or get creative with some other tactic. Have fun with it!
- Get Local Chocolate
Skip the cheap chocolate at your supermarket or pharmacy and buy from a local chocolatier. You can find local options in your grocery store as well, or at farmers markets and small specialty shops in your area. This helps you support local small businesses that most likely use fair labor practices and more healthily-sourced chocolates.
These simple tweaks can make your holiday more sustainable and enjoyable for your family. As Spring arrives and things get more green outside, perhaps it’s time you also considered a career switch to a green job. Keep checking here on the blog for the latest green job and sustainability news.
