Going green: Help in reducing your carbon footprint over Easter holiday

Easter is a time when we can all look forward to (hopefully) warmer weather and getting together with friends and family to celebrate new life. But with all the plastic-wrapped eggs, holiday travel, and food waste, it's not always the greenest celebration.

This year, why not try making Easter a bit a more environmentally friendly? It won’t spoil the fun, but it will cut your carbon footprint and save you some money too.

Rethink your Easter eggs

Those foil-wrapped, chocolate eggs piled high in the supermarket look inviting, but their environmental impact adds up. Instead, skip the heavy use of packaging and choose eggs with simple cardboard wrapping. Alternatively make your own eggs using moulds and Fairtrade chocolate or ‘nest’ cakes from corn flakes or rice crispies with mini eggs on them. You could decorate homemade wooden eggs, then keep them for next year. Don’t forget about traditional real eggs either. Dyeing hard-boiled eggs with natural dyes like turmeric, beetroot and red cabbage is great fun, and a basket of real eggs looks incredibly natural and festive.

Avoid plastic and get creative

As well as the plastic packaging most commercially produced chocolate eggs, that plastic grass that fills some Easter baskets is terrible for the planet. Instead, shredding old magazines, or use soft reusable scraps of colourful fabric. To achieve a really natural Easter basket or door wreath, you could use moss, dried grass, leaves or flowers you’ve gathered from the garden.

If you’re planning an Easter egg hunt, hide natural clues using sticks and rocks to lead the way. And you could nestle homemade seed bombs next to your eggs. Kids can plant them afterwards and enjoy wildflowers blooming all summer.

Plan an eco-friendly Easter lunch

We love to celebrate with our families on Easter Sunday and that often means preparing a big meal. This year, why not plan to avoid excess food waste? Plan your portions carefully for the day and try hosting an Easter leftovers lunch on Easter Monday. Otherwise, freeze extra food, and responsibly compost anything that’s left behind. The charity One Home has some great tips for cutting down on food waste.

Visit https://onehome.org.uk/topics/your-home-topics/recycling-waste/how-to-reduce-food-waste-and-save-money/ website.

You could try cutting your carbon footprint drastically by hosting a veggie Easter lunch. It’s definitely not compulsory to serve lamb at Easter, and a delicious meat-free dish like Jamie Oliver’s vegan shepherd’s pie or hearty veggie bake using seasonal vegetables will go down a treat with your guests and be better for the planet.

Visit https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables/vegan-shepherd-s-pie/ website.

You could make your outfits more eco-friendly too. Suggest that everyone arrives to Easter lunch in vintage or upcycled clothing from Vinted or from local charity shops. This will discourage your guests from ordering fast-fashion Easter outfits.

Visit https://www.vinted.co.uk website.

Spot the Easter bunnies!

A fun Easter activity for after lunch, is to look for wild rabbits. Bunnies are common in Britain and can typically be found in open meadows and near woodland. They’re easiest to spot in the late afternoon and early evening. Rabbits are very nervous creatures though, so try to be as quiet as possible, and don’t get too close. Here’s a BBC guide for spotting bunnies in Britain.

Visit https://www.countryfile.com/wildlife/mammals/rabbit website.

Celebrity spot

Actor Matt Damon co-founded the international water equality charity Water.org in 2009 after decades of witnessing the global water crisis, caused by drought and extreme weather. The Good Will Hunting star became acutely aware of the lack of access to clean water during trips to Guatemala and Zambia and was inspired to help water-starved populations everywhere. Water.org says it has provided 63 million people with safe drinking water and sanitation since it started.

Visit https://abcnews.go.com/US/celebrities-influence-environmental-issues-experts-weigh/story?id=109325454 website.

Green swap

Protect your clothes by drying them naturally on a clothes line instead of loading them into the tumble dryer. Sun and wind-drying costs nothing, and helps your garments look better for longer.

Eco alternatives for your spring-cleaning routine

It’s spring again and it’s traditionally a time to give our homes a good spruce up. Here are some natural alternatives to harmful, chemical-based cleaners. They get the job done, work out cheaper and won’t hurt the environment or your health.

1. Vinegar

Vinegar mixed with an equal amount of water makes a powerful glass and surface cleaner. You can add the mixture to a spray bottle and use it to wipe away soap scum, mineral deposits and grease. Use distilled white vinegar and test it on an inconspicuous area before applying more liberally.

2. Essential oils

Adding a few drops of tea tree, lavender, or eucalyptus oil to your DIY cleaners leaves a fresh, natural scent. Essential oils can help banish nasty smells from bins, fridges and laundry rooms.

3. Baking soda

Baking soda is an effective and natural way to scrub surfaces and deodorise. It can even unclog blocked drains. Mix it with a little water to make a paste which can eliminate grease and grime from countertops, sinks and ovens. You can also mix the paste with a little soap to remove scorch marks from pots and pans. Baking soda is a great carpet freshener too. Sprinkle it on and let it sit on the carpet for a few hours before vacuuming.

4. Lemon juice

Another effective, natural cleaner is lemon juice. It’s one of the best and cheapest dishwasher rinse aid liquids available and you’ll love the smell of your dishes after every wash. Lemon juice can also be used to add sparkle to taps, pots and cutlery and works as a great chemical-free furniture polish too. Just mix one part lemon juice with two parts olive oil and mix. It also works on hardwood floors. Finally, did you know that lemon juice can help keep insects out of your home? Just rub some on your door and window frames. Insects hate the smell and so helps keep them away.

Visit https://blancliving.co/blogs/news/7-clever-ways-to-clean-with-lemons website.

5. Natural scrubbing products

Most cleaning sponges you can buy in the supermarket are made of plastic. When they’re being used, tiny pieces falling off can contribute to the microplastics in our water supply. And since they can’t be recycled, they end up in landfill sites. Instead, look for scrubbers made from natural materials like walnut fibres, coconut husks or bamboo. Avoid single-use wipes altogether. They’re made from plastic and won’t break down naturally, clogging up pipes and waterways or dumped in landfills. Choose re-usable cloths and biodegradable alternatives instead. Also, choose refillable spray bottles over disposable ones.

Fact or fiction

“Petrol cars could cost their owners £500 more a year to run than EVs”.

FACT.

The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) found that drivers of the top 10 selling petrol cars of 2024 could pay an additional £540 a year to run compared with an EV.

Visit https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2024/new-analysis-petrol-car-drivers-paid-a-500-petrol-premium-in-2024 website.