William Atkins
Friday, 10 April 2009 21:39
Science -
Climate
Page 1 of 3
When you are hunting for Easter eggs this Sunday, think about their negative impact on the environment. A British environmentalist and government leader is calling for reductions in the excessive packaging of Easter eggs from plastic boxes, aluminum foil wrapping, and cardboard containers.
The BBC News article “
A simple case of over-egging” states both sides of the chocolaty issue:
“On the one hand there are voices from the environmental lobby that single out the Easter egg as quite the most outrageous piece of overpackaging in the realm of retail."
And,
"On the other there are consumers whose eye needs to be drawn to products that make them feel like they want to give them as a gift.”
You decide which one is more important!
Environmentalist and British government leader
Jo Swinson, who is the liberal democratic foreign affairs minister MP (Member of Parliament) for East Dunbartonshire, has a definite stance on the issue.
Swinson is quoted in the BBC News article as saying,
"Easter eggs are obviously one of the worst examples of excessive packaging you can find. It is going to taste the same whatever box it comes in. It doesn't make any sense to pay for excess packaging."
In fact, Jo Swinson states in the article “
Easter eggs worst for excess packaging,” which is found on her
website,
“A new report on “Excess Packaging in Easter Eggs,” produced by Jo Swinson, has found that on average Easter eggs take up just 15% of the volume of their packaging.”
Her report
“Excess Packaging in Easter Eggs” (found as a link on the bottom of the previous article) states,
“As consumers, we come across excess packaging as an everyday occurrence. A simple trip to the supermarket results in the accumulation of vast amounts of card, foil and plastic, much of which is disposed of as soon as we get home.”
Swinson states,
"Easter eggs are some of the worst offenders for excess packaging. Packages are often unnecessarily large and use several layers of card, plastic and foil packaging. This report quantifies, with eye-opening results, the extent to which consumers are buying Easter eggs but paying for packaging.”
Page two continues with the bigger problem with Easter egg overpackaging.
