Ah, Easter: because clearly, after surviving the caloric apocalypse of Christmas and Valentine’s Day, what we all need is another excuse to mainline sugar and pretend it’s tradition.
From excessive packaging to carbon-heavy chocolate, this family-friendly festival comes with an environmental hangover that’s anything but sweet.
In this post, I’ll unpack the ethical and environmental costs of Easter, because chocolate eggs aren’t the only thing that comes with a price tag.
The Origins Of Overindulgence
At its heart, Easter, which is derived from the German word Ostern, is a Christian celebration commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Yet over the centuries, it has absorbed older pagan springtime traditions and transformed into a commercial bonanza.
Easter eggs symbolise rebirth; the bunny, a prolific and procreative fertility icon from German folklore, hops in; and cards, flowers, and family feasts complete the modern-day picture.
But as the festival has become more commercialised, much like Christmas, its environmental footprint has grown significantly.
(Read more about my thoughts on the environmental effects of Christmas here.)
Chocolate Chaos: Bitter Truths Behind The Sweet Treats
In Britain alone, more than 80 million chocolate Easter eggs are sold each year. That’s not just a calorie count — it’s a carbon count, too.
According to a study cited by The Independent, the UK’s annual Easter egg habit generates over 3,000 tonnes of packaging waste, much of which is plastic.
But it gets worse: chocolate itself is a carbon-intensive product. A single kilogram of chocolate produces around 2.9 to 4.2kg of CO₂ equivalents, depending on how and where it’s made.
And it’s not just the UK. Australians spent over $200 million on chocolate at Easter in 2023, according to Finder, with millions of individually wrapped eggs contributing to landfill waste.
In the US, Easter chocolate is an even bigger business — Americans buy more than 91 million chocolate bunnies each year, with seasonal candy sales topping $3 billion, as reported by Statista.
That’s more than many meats. Factor in deforestation, water use and child labour in cocoa farming and the sweet treat begins to melt under scrutiny.
The Dark Side of Chocolate: What You’re Not Being Told
Most of us enjoy chocolate without a second thought. It’s a treat we associate with comfort, celebration and love. But behind the sweetness lies a bitter truth that’s hard to digest: much of the world’s chocolate is tainted by child labour.
In the cocoa fields of West Africa, specifically the Ivory Coast and Ghana, which produce nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa, an estimated 2.1 million children are working under dangerous and exploitative conditions.
These children are often forced to wield machetes, carry extremely heavy loads and endure exposure to harmful pesticides, all in the name of harvesting cocoa beans.
This isn’t simply unpaid work or helping out on a family farm. According to international standards, these are among the worst forms of child labour.
Many of these children are trafficked or trapped in a cycle of poverty, denied education and basic rights, so that chocolate can be cheaply produced and widely consumed.
As consumers, it’s easy to remain unaware, but once you know, it’s impossible to ignore.
Plastic, Paper And Pointless Packaging
Ever noticed how Easter eggs come encased like Russian dolls — a plastic shell, inside a cardboard box, sometimes with even more plastic to hold it all in place? It’s not just irritating; it’s environmentally egregious.
A report from the Environment Journal revealed that up to a third of Easter egg packaging is non-recyclable, meaning tonnes of it end up in landfill each year.
While some brands have adopted more eco-conscious designs, many are still lagging behind.
(Read more about my thoughts on plastic waste here.)
Cards, Crafts And Carbon Footprints
It might seem harmless to send a “Happy Easter” card or pick up a novelty decoration, but those small gestures add up.
Britons buy around 30 million Easter cards annually.
That’s a forest’s worth of paper, ink, transport and packaging, all for something that’s often binned within days.
Add to this the surge in plastic toys, decorations and single-use craft kits. So, Easter’s crafty corner starts to look more like an environmental calamity.
Bunny Business: The Real Cost Of Cute
The Easter Bunny, while delightfully whimsical, has become a mascot for excessive consumerism. From plush toys to real-life rabbits gifted as pets (many of which are later abandoned), the bunny boom is a troubling phenomenon.
Animal welfare groups warn against buying rabbits impulsively at Easter, as many are dumped at shelters just weeks later.
On the production side, novelty items, ranging from themed candles to plastic baskets, are often manufactured overseas and shipped over long distances, adding air miles to the equation.
Waste Not, Want Not: The Food Factor
Easter Sunday is the world’s second-biggest food shopping event after Christmas. And with that comes the inevitable: food waste.
From uneaten roast lamb to half-eaten hot cross buns, the seasonal splurge leads to an estimated 7.1 million tonnes of food waste annually across the UK — much of it avoidable.
The carbon cost? Enormous. The production and disposal of food we never eat generates approximately 36 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year in Britain alone.
Greener Goodies: Easy Eco-Friendly Easter Tips
Thankfully, going green doesn’t mean giving up on Easter joy.
Here are a few planet-friendly swaps that don’t spoil the fun when I scoured the internet:
- Choose chocolate with minimal packaging and certified eco-labels, such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, Alter Eco Foods, or Tony’s Chocolonely (strict, third-party-certified ethical chocolate).
- Buy eggs from your local producers if possible.
- Send e-cards or cards made from recycled paper.
- Decorate with natural materials — think flowers, painted stones, or reused jars.
- Avoid plastic toys and opt for wooden, second-hand, or recycled gifts.
- Don’t forget the compost bin — food scraps and cardboard packaging often belong there, not the bin.
For more tips, check out The Conversation’s guide to a low-waste Easter and Twinkl’s family-friendly eco ideas.
Final Thoughts: Can Easter Be Ethical?
Easter doesn’t have to be an eco-disaster. By choosing more thoughtfully and consuming less mindlessly, we can still celebrate spring and rebirth, just without burying the planet in plastic and carbon.
So here are a couple of questions we’re left with:
How can a holiday celebrating new life truly be that joyful if it’s costing the Earth?
If you care to indulge, when was the last time you looked for the label below on the packaging of your chocolate?
Further Reading For Interest: The Science Behind Easter’s Moving Date
Easter’s timing is based on a mix of astronomy and ancient church rules. It occurs on the first Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon following the spring equinox, which is always fixed at 21 March.
This system allows Easter to fall anywhere from March 22nd to April 25th, depending on the lunar cycle.
The date is determined by computus, a method tied to the Jewish Passover, as Jesus’s resurrection is said to have occurred around that time. Early Christians were unable to agree on a common date, resulting in confusion and diverse traditions.
To resolve this, Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, establishing the rule that Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the equinox.
Though this unified the Christian world, disagreements persisted, particularly in England, where King Oswiu settled the issue in 664 AD, aligning the country with the Roman tradition.
Later, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar to correct errors in the Julian calendar; however, England did not adopt it until 1752.
Today, most Christians follow the Gregorian calendar, but Eastern Orthodox churches still use the Julian system, meaning their Easter often falls later.
In 2025, however, both the East and West will celebrate on 20 April.
Despite occasional debates, Easter remains a movable feast, defined by lunar cycles, historical decisions and centuries of tradition.
No, you aren’t imagining it: “shrinkflation” – when your Easter egg is half the size but costs twice as much.
Thought I would practise what I’ve preached this Easter – easily available in my local supermarket.
About the author
Dr Surrinder Singh is a medical doctor, freelance writer and educator. He is passionate about healthcare, medicine and education and works professionally with B2B and B2C clients.
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