The Taste of Spring… and the Waste We Leave Behind

Helen Henshaw - CAO
10th April 2025

Easter brings chocolate, lamb, and a lot of tradition – but what’s the impact after the celebrations are done?

When I was thinking about what to write for our Easter blog, I came across a stat that made me pause for a moment: the UK throws away 8,000 tonnes of Easter egg packaging every year. Not food – just the packaging. And it stuck with me.

Sustainability is something we care about at Qnetex, especially in the context of foodservice. So this year, instead of just talking about Easter traditions, we wanted to look at what comes after – the impact we don’t always see, and the small changes that could make a big difference.

Why do we eat what we eat at Easter?

From a cultural perspective, Easter’s food traditions run deep. Eggs symbolise new life, lamb links back to religious rituals, and hot cross buns have been around long enough to survive more than one rebrand. These aren’t just items on a shopping list – they’re familiar rituals that mark the season.

If you’re curious about the history behind it all, BBC Good Food has a great breakdown of how these dishes made their way onto our Easter tables.

Chocolate eggs, of course, have taken on a life of their own. They’ve gone from simple symbols of rebirth to elaborate, foil-wrapped centrepieces that dominate supermarket aisles every April.

 

The packaging problem

And here’s the issue: we’re not just consuming food – we’re consuming the packaging that comes with it.

According to Business Waste, the UK generates around 8,000 tonnes of Easter egg packaging waste every year. Add to that the plastic baskets, wrappers, foil, and the inevitable leftovers from roast dinners, and the numbers start stacking up fast.

It’s not just households feeling the pressure. Across restaurants, cafés, and retail, Easter brings a surge in demand – and if it’s not managed well, a surge in waste too.

 

What the food industry can do

There’s no silver bullet, but there are ways to reduce the impact:

  • Better forecasting to avoid overstocking and overproduction.
  • Closer collaboration between suppliers and distributors to reduce packaging and excess.
  • Smarter systems (hello, ERP) to help manage inventory, track expiry dates, and streamline deliveries.
  • Flexible planning to account for seasonal spikes without compromising sustainability goals.

It’s not about taking the joy out of Easter – just being more mindful of what happens behind the scenes.

 

A small shift, a big difference

Easter should absolutely be a celebration. But it’s also a moment to pause and think about what comes next – what happens to the packaging, the leftovers, and the food that didn’t quite make it to the plate.

Because once the chocolate’s eaten and the tables are cleared, what we leave behind still matters.

What are you doing to reduce waste this Easter?