This is a guest post by Sophie Kingscott, Marketing Executive for EcoEgg Limited:
The Easter period has transformed from a once religious festival to a celebration of over indulgence. Easter has a negative impact on your health, your purse and the environment! Yes, it’s great fun, but do we really need to be so wasteful. Why not crack the habit?
A recent scientific study has shown that during a typical Easter period an average child will receive over thirteen Easter eggs and consume over 12,000 calories of chocolate and Easter goodies. That’s enough calories to keep them going for a full week! To burn of those extra calories, a child will have to run the equivalent of 56 miles. That’s the distance from London to Brighton! As the vast majority of children are unlikely to run 56 miles in order to burn of their over indulgence, they stand to gain up to four pounds in excess body fat. For many families, Easter has become nothing but a chocolate-eating fest. Is it any wonder that obesity and diabetes is plaguing the UK?
An average British child under 12 will receive £24 worth of chocolate this Easter. Most children will receive one £3 egg from their parents and a further twelve from extended family and friends. Does a child really need thirteen Easter eggs? The price of Easter eggs is set to rise again the year due to the ever increasing price of Cocoa. The cost of eggs soared by up to 140% last year, and is set to increase further this year. Political unrest in the main cocoa producing countries and increased VAT are two of the main reasons for the ever increasing cost of Easter treats. With many families in the UK now officially in poverty, is £24 an expense most families can really afford?
A survey by Friends of the Earth has revealed that in some cases for every £1 spent on Easter eggs, consumers could be spending the same amount or more again on packaging. It has been estimated that 4370 tonnes of cardboard and 160 tonnes of foil waste was created by the packaging used to protect Easter eggs. Many of the leading brands are actively planning to reduce packaging on Easter eggs, but the majority still contain several layers of unnecessary unrecyclable packaging which inevitably ends up in landfills.
With delicious egg shaped temptations at every turn from February to April each year, it would be near impossible to fully resist the delights of a little Easter indulgence, but do we have to indulge on such a grand scale? As our little ones learn by example, we should be the ones to take the lead and show them that you can absolutely have a little treat to celebrate Easter but why eat chocolate to the point of nausea?
Why not crack the habit and swap some of your Easter eggs for one of these alternative Easter gifts:
Paint your own Easter egg kit- for around £5 you can keep your child occupied for a couple of hours and you also don’t have to worry about the calories they are consuming.
Ecoegg laundry egg- the revolutionary new way to do laundry, completely replacing laundry detergent and lasting for up to 720 washes, it saves families £000’s. www.ecoeggonline.com
Buy a chicken for a family in Malawi- for just £10 you can buy a brood of chickens for a family in Malawi, allowing them to earn an income from selling the eggs. A guilt free Easter Egg!
www.giftsinaction.org.uk
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