Chocolate lovers are being urged to go green this weekend and recycle their Easter egg packaging.
People across the country are expected to munch their way through more than 1 million kilograms of chocolate over the bank holiday period — wrapped in paper and cardboard from the equivalent of 180,000 trees.
Environmental group Repak is calling on households to burn off some of the extra five billion calories consumed by taking their used Easter packaging to recycling points.
“By making an extra effort to recycle over the Easter period, people can prevent a lot of this waste being sent to landfill,” Repak spokesman Darrell Crowe said.
“This year we’re targeting to recycle nearly 50 per cent of all consumer packaging generated, which equates to approximately 13 kilos of packaging from each household.
“Consumers can also make a difference by making sure to choose Easter eggs and other packaged products with minimal packaging, and by maximising the recyclable packaging content.”
According to Repak, more than €34 million will be spent on Easter eggs nationwide — enough chocolate if melted to create a fountain four times the size of Rome’s Trevi Fountain.
It is also estimated people will drink almost five million litres of beer over the bank holiday weekend.
Repak said householders should make sure glass, tin and cardboard packaging is clean and dry before recycling, and take care that the correct items are being placed in green bins.
Further information and details of local recycling centres can be found at www.recyclemore.ie.
PA