The amount of packaging left over from chocolate and sweets sold in Ireland this weekend could cover Dublin's O'Connell Street 90 times over, according to recycling group, Repak.
With consumers expected to spend €32 million on Easter eggs over the next few days, Repak has urged householders to recycle the 42,000 tonnes of packaging that will be left over once confectionary has been consumed.
With an estimated 6.4 million Easter eggs expected to be eaten this weekend, Repak is hoping to increase the amount of waste that get recycled.
Last year more than 16,000 tonnes or 40 per cent of all used packaging was recycled during the Easter period - 14 per cent up on the previous year.
According to Repak, Easter eggs will generate around 17,000 kilos of aluminium foil packaging waste, 377,000 kilos of card or paper packaging waste and 231,000 kilos of plastic packaging.
"We understand that Easter is a time for celebration and present giving but we are just asking people to take a more environmentally friendly approach to the recycling of all the additional packaging that we see at this time," Repak spokesman Darrell Crowe said.
"We ask that householders embrace the spirit of recycling this Easter by giving a new life into the old used packaging by recycling your used Easter packaging."