Easter eggs have too much packaging

Chocolate companies have been accused of using far too much packaging, after a study found that some Easter eggs have boxes that are ten times the size of the treats themselves.
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A survey of 12 leading Easter eggs by Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat MP, found many eggs were still sold in enormous boxes, with an extravagant use of plastic.

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While many chocolate companies had improved their green credentials in recent years, all but two of the eggs were packaged in boxes that were at least twice the volume of the eggs inside.

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Guylian, the Belgian manufacturer, came out worse from the study, selling an egg that was half a litre in size (590ml) but packaged in a box that would hold more than 6 litres (6301ml).

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Lindt was only marginally better with an egg that took up just 10 per cent of the box.

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Sainsbury's came out top with an egg that took up nearly two-thirds of the box.

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Ms Swinson said: "Consumers are frustrated with the amount of packaging included with the products they buy. The costs of excess packaging are invariably passed on to consumers.

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"In fact, the consumer pays three times for excess packaging: once at the checkout (the average family spends £470 each year on packaging), once for the disposing of waste packaging,and once again for the environmental costs."

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Many chcolate companies have, in the last two years, started to make Easter eggs or bunnies with minimal packaging, with just the chocolate treat wrapped in foil. These include Cadbury’s ‘Eco-Eggs’, Lindt chocolate bunnies and Nestlé’s Milkybar hollow chocolate cow.

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However, too many of the standard mid-market eggs, which cost less than £6 or so, fail to meet the basic packaging regulations, set out by the Depatment for Business.

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"The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations, which require producers to limit the volume and weight of packaging to the ‘minimum amount necessary’, are in most cases not being met," the report said.

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