Easter is on the horizon and with it comes a glut of chocolate eggs and gifts for loved ones and friends – but it’s recycling that is firmly on people’s minds.  

Brits are planning to purchase over 156 million Easter eggs this year, but seven in ten (69%) say they contain too much packaging.

A fifth (20%) of Brits state that fully recyclable packaging is important when choosing the product they buy.

New research released on Global Recycling Day, commissioned by sustainable packaging leader DS Smith, noted that nearly half (47%) of confectionary-crazed Brits are planning to buy three or more eggs this Easter.

Their top priorities are value for money (65%), taste (57%) and volume of chocolate (43%) when choosing the treat they go for.

Still, a fifth (20%) say they want them to come in fully recyclable packaging, as nearly four in five (79%) say they recycle at least one part of the box.

But inconsistent recycling guidelines across the country are leading to confusion. Aluminium foil is not collected by 1 in 5 councils, plastic recycling varies across the country, as cardboard remains the only consistently collected packaging material.

Samantha Upham, Seasonal Sustainability Expert at DS Smith said, “The hardest thing to digest this Easter shouldn’t be the recycling rules.

“Brits should feel free to enjoy a guilt-free Easter egg and be able to feel confident that the packaging they dispose of really does get recycled back into new products.

“Confectionery companies have come a long way to remove unnecessary packaging and make the remaining wrapping recyclable. Now we just must make sure that everyone has best chance to recycle as much as possible.”

Those who struggle to recycle blame a lack of options for each element of the Easter egg packaging in their local area (41%), unclear instructions (28%) and simply forgetting (22%).

This confusion is indicative of a broader trend as previous DS Smith's research has shown that given the UK’s declining recycling rates, by 2030, two in five paper and board packs will end up in landfill or incineration.

In the run-up to Easter and coinciding with Global Recycling Day today (18 March), Samantha has also shared easy-to-follow top tips for recycling some popular Easter products:

Samantha’s top tip: “It’s not always clear if, how and where we can recycle of the foil of our Easter Eggs. Most councils accept foil for recycling but it’s important to check with your local council guidance. If it does, scrunch all the foil together into a ball to avoid small bits being lost in the recycling process.”