Asda tackles Easter egg plastic waste

With Easter approaching, Asda has decided to do something about the mountains of plastic waste created by its own-brand chocolate Easter eggs.

The supermarket will change its Extra Special Easter egg from a wider, round shape to a thinner, oval one; meaning it does not need to be supported by plastic packaging, and instead uses recyclable cardboard.

Asda says this means it will be packaged in 98% less plastic, saving a total of 16 tonnes a year.

They add that despite the change in shape, the egg remains the same weight as before and there’s no less chocolate.

Easter eggs leave a massive environmental footprint and according to Friends of the Earth, they lead to over 3,000 tonnes of packaging waste each year in the UK.

Shelley Solomon, senior director, Impulse Grocery at Asda, said: ‘We are passionate about delivering our commitment to customers to use less and recycle more, whilst continuing to deliver on quality and price. This move marks the next step in our journey as we strive to make all our own-brand packaging 100% recyclable by 2025.

‘We’re committed to a 15% reduction in plastic by February 2021 and through new product innovation, we are continually reducing plastic on our own-brand products. We hope the knowledge that consumers can still eat delicious, sustainable chocolate whilst reducing their plastic footprint helps to put a spring in their step this Easter.’

Since February 2018, Asda has removed 8,000 tonnes of plastic from more than 1000 own-brand lines, from steaks to ready meal trays and greetings cards to avocados. A third of Asda’s plastic will be made from recycled plastic by the end of 2020.