Hurray, it's time for Easter eggs again! At thegreenlist.nl we are as happy as an egg to see that fair trade and vegan Easter eggs can be found in almost every supermarket these days. But we did wonder: what about the aluminium foil around those Easter eggs? Because it usually doesn't stop at just one egg - oops. What exactly is the packaging of Easter eggs made of and what happens to it after we throw it away? We went to find out!
Why is there an aluminium foil around an Easter egg?
Almost all Easter eggs are wrapped in a colourful aluminium jacket. But why really? There must be a good reason, besides that cosy spring mood this cheerful packaging brings us. The aluminium protects the chocolate from moisture, light and temperature changes. Because the foil is thin, it fits tightly and protects the egg well. If Easter eggs were not wrapped, the chocolate could oxidise. You probably know that white haze on chocolate and oxidation can also come at the expense of flavour. So food waste is lurking and of course we don't want that, especially as the environmental impact of the Easter egg itself - cocoa remember - is a lot bigger than that of the packaging. Conclusion: so actually, that aluminium foil around an Easter egg is a very good thing. It protects the egg very well.
How does aluminium affect the environment?
OK, we now understand why the aluminium foil around the Easter egg is useful and can even be sustainable if it helps reduce food waste. But how is such packaging actually made and what is the environmental impact? We will spare you the technical details, but it is good to know that the production of aluminium takes a huge amount of energy and water - more than plastic, for example. Also, the raw material bauxite, from which aluminium is made, requires mining. Moreover, toxic substances can be released during production. Not exactly sustainable.
The good news is that aluminium can be recycled endlessly without loss of quality. This means it can be re-melted and remelted after use without requiring much extra energy. New aluminium takes as much as 20 times more energy than reusing and remelting existing aluminium. So the environmental impact of aluminium is a lot lower if it is recycled properly.
The aluminium foil around an Easter egg is not a sustainable material, but it does help prevent food waste.
Can the aluminium packaging of an Easter egg be recycled?
So if aluminium is properly recycled, it is quite a sustainable material. But can this also be done with the little foils that surround Easter eggs? If the aluminium packaging of an Easter egg ends up in the residual waste, it is burnt and you lose it. A shame! You may have heard that aluminium is taken out of residual waste incineration: that's true for larger pieces of aluminium, such as cans. But the foil around an Easter egg is so small and thin that sorting machines don't recognise it and it just ends up being incinerated. That's why it's better to throw the aluminium foil from an Easter egg into the PMD bag. PMD stands for Plastic, Metal and Drinking Packs. To make sure the sorting machines recognise the aluminium better, it is advisable to make a ball of it. If you save up the foil and make a big ball out of it, that's totally great.
The downside of the PMD bag
So if we throw the aluminium foil from Easter eggs into the PMD bag, can that aluminium then be used again as packaging? Unfortunately, there is one more thing to discuss. PMD waste should not be returned as food packaging and is often recycled into lower-quality products. Think pipes and tubes, car rims or roofing materials. So the aluminium foil around an Easter egg is probably still made from virgin aluminium.
Enjoy your Easter eggs and don't worry too much about the aluminium foil!
So producing the aluminium packaging around an Easter egg is anything but sustainable, but it does help reduce food waste and can be recycled into other products, if you put it neatly in the PMD bag. Just remember to save the foil and make a ball out of it so that the sorting machines recognise it better. This gives you a good reason to eat lots of (vegan) Easter eggs this year. If you want to avoid the aluminium packaging, you can also buy Easter eggs in plastic packaging only. In that case, bear in mind that the taste and appearance of the chocolate may change slightly after you open the bag. Or you could just eat the whole bag in one go, which is also possible.
More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Want something different from regular Easter eggs? Then try this recipe with vegan Easter eggs: surprise eggs with dates and peanut butter.
- Easter traditions? Time for a sustainable Easter branch.
- Not only the Easter branch can be sustainable, but also the decorations: DIY Easter decoration making from leftover materials.
Sources: waste separation guide.nl, Recycling Netherlands, Better sorting, Max Today. Photo credits: main image and hand with Easter eggs: Polina Zimmerman (Pexels), coloured Easter eggs: Karolina Grabowska (Pexels).
