Easter Eggs - Too Much Packaging ?

It's an environmental issue, honest!

Has anyone noticed that Cadbury's are selling some of their Easter eggs this year without all of the crazy packing? They still have tin foil around them, but they don't have all the plastic and cardboard. They have two slogans/advertised benefits on the trays: firstly, that they have less packaging; secondly, that they are easier to hide for egg hunts.

I don't really care why they reduce the waste packaging, as long as they do it. Let's just hope other confectionary companies follow suit.

Yeh, the packaging on some products is ridiculous and very annoying.

I must watch out for the reduced packing Easter eggs.

We can force the issue to some degree here by selecting products which have made an effort to cut down on waste.

I was recently considering writing to Tesco to ask them to cut down on the need to use plastic in their shops, but I figure that one mildly disgruntled person in Dublin isn't going to change the policy of a company that size. It just bugs me that you have to choose between veg in plastic trays, or putting veg in plastic bags (in Superquinn, they have paper bags for some products). And that isn't even getting into the relatively poor quality of the fruit and veg. Similarly, most of their meat is pre-packed, and over-packed. The place just wrecks my head.

In fact, I've decided to avoid their shops as far as possible. (I didn't decide that while writing this post, by the way.)

I saw them in Tescos the other day - they're a great idea and look at lot more tasteful than the old massive box egg with a big plastic mould on it. They are just simple cardboard if I remember right. Good so see it, fair play Cadbury - tapping a market there.

Took these photos this morning in Tescos. Lots of packaging on the Cadbury's stuff there Bear. The little fellas in the middle seem to be the only ones I saw in the shop which had no packaging. Below, the ones in the tin are the yokes I was referring to above which look a bit more tasteful but the packaging is tin, which you could reuse I suppose but still not the low-key responsible packaging you'd like.

TheBear wrote:

I was recently considering writing to Tesco to ask them to cut down on the need to use plastic in their shops, but I figure that one mildly disgruntled person in Dublin isn't going to change the policy of a company that size. It just bugs me that you have to choose between veg in plastic trays, or putting veg in plastic bags (in Superquinn, they have paper bags for some products). And that isn't even getting into the relatively poor quality of the fruit and veg. Similarly, most of their meat is pre-packed, and over-packed. The place just wrecks my head.

In fact, I've decided to avoid their shops as far as possible. (I didn't decide that while writing this post, by the way.)

I have the same issues with Tesco and because it's got such a great choice of produce compared to other places around here, I find myself choosing it over other supermarkets - even though I hate them and the fact that they don't publish their Irish profits.

The mushrooms in particular drive me crazy. They sell very few loose mushrooms but a variety of sizes with that awful blue tray packaging that, as far as I know, you can't recycle and I hate bringing them home. They sell lots of fruit in plastic basket things and they are hard to dispose of too.

It's a niusance if you want to reduce rather than having to reuse or recycle.

It amuses and annoys me to see people putting a chunk of broccoli or two parsnips in a plastic bag - why? There's no need really.

When I lived in Germany I could leave all my packaging behind without having to go to the bother of bringing it home and then separating it for recycling. It was brilliant.

I go to Tesco now only once in a blue moon and only when I have to. I try to buy as much as I can locally and am lucky that I have a greengrocer, small local supermarket, butcher and nice gift shop all within a hundred yards of each other. I spend less, throw out less and know that it's making a difference even in a small way to a dying rural economy. And there's a sense of community that you get when the greengrocer says every time you ask how he is "ah sure you get nothing for complaining."

But if you send your letter to Tesco HQ from Dublin, I'll send one from the Midlands....

My sister in law always strips off extraneous packaging in shops and leaves it behind - so far, no one has complained. I do it sometimes, time pressure is the main problem. If everyone passed the cost of disposal back to the retailer, it wouldn't be long before they asked suppliers to cut down on packaging.

Tried making easter eggs once or twice with mixed results. In Russia they make wonderful pascal cakes instead like top hats covered with icing and wash them down with vodka.

Any good easter recipes Kate?

Auditor #9 wrote:

Took these photos this morning in Tescos. Lots of packaging on the Cadbury's stuff there Bear. The little fellas in the middle seem to be the only ones I saw in the shop which had no packaging. Below, the ones in the tin are the yokes I was referring to above which look a bit more tasteful but the packaging is tin, which you could reuse I suppose but still not the low-key responsible packaging you'd like.

Well, I did say that they were selling *some* of their Easter eggs with the reduced packaging. It's more than the others are doing...

I was referring to the ones that are on the second shelf from the top, with just the tin foil. You can see the 'slogans' on the front of the trays that hold them - "Treasure eggs * No box, less waste"

What do you think the kiddies see when they look at both those types of egg? Would they be easily persuaded of the virtues of reduced packaging do you think?

Auditor #9 wrote:

What do you think the kiddies see when they look at both those types of egg? Would they be easily persuaded of the virtues of reduced packaging do you think?

They don't do the buying, so...

Not having any kids, I guess I'll have to convince my brother to experiment on his brood.

Auditor #9 wrote:

What do you think the kiddies see when they look at both those types of egg? Would they be easily persuaded of the virtues of reduced packaging do you think?

Kids are easy going enough I think. It's the parents and eggs-as-presents-buyers who get more hysterical. Being able to buy them loose like that means they can make up their own customised Easter Egg things.

When did this hunting for easter eggs thing (I'm at a small loss for Easter egg vocab) migrate to these shores? My oldest friend from school was recently talking about the Easter bunny and hiding the eggs for her little boy and I know neither she nor I did this when we were in school. Indeed it was far from Easter bunny egg 'hunts' (damn, missing the words again) we were reared. And my sisters don't do it with their kids either.

Cactus Flower wrote:

Tried making easter eggs once or twice with mixed results. In Russia they make wonderful pascal cakes instead like top hats covered with icing and wash them down with vodka.

Any good easter recipes Kate?

I'm going to give into temptation and start a thread on Easter and food on our yummy new food forum.

TheBear wrote:

Auditor #9 wrote:

What do you think the kiddies see when they look at both those types of egg? Would they be easily persuaded of the virtues of reduced packaging do you think?

They don't do the buying, so...

Not having any kids, I guess I'll have to convince my brother to experiment on his brood.

Kids have x-ray chocolate wieghing eyes. The only want the one with the most chocolate. Packaging is last on the list.