Celebrate spring with a greener Easter

by Nicole Teed (Subscribe to Nicole Teed's posts) Mar 18th 2008 12:30PM

Categories: Activities Babies, In The News, Going Green

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Maybe it's the fun of planting flowers, or the energy that comes with a little more sunshine, but spring seems to bring out the 'green' in me. With Easter coming up this weekend, many of us are planning family celebrations. Here are some tips for making your Easter weekend a little more earth-friendly:

Reduce the amount you buy for your children or grandchildren. They probably have plenty of small toys and they certainly don't need all that candy. I know all of the Easter goodies are cute, but try to put together a basket that is a treat without being an overindulgence.
Reuse baskets, plastic eggs, and other decorations. Make it a tradition to use the same Easter basket year-to-year, rather than buying new. Same goes for those plastic eggs and Easter basket filler.
Pull together an eco-friendly centerpiece in place of cut flowers. Try a bowl of fresh fruit or a collection of potted plants.
Pretty up your table with cloth napkins. Everyone will think you're fancy, and you'll be saving the waste of paper.
Dye your eggs naturally. You probably have several natural dye items in your pantry or refrigerator. Check out Martha's tips for natural egg dyes to color your eggs without all the artificial. (Although I will say that, if I wanted brown eggs, I'd probably just buy them that way!)
Use fresh, local vegetables in your Easter meal. I know it's a little early for the more northern climates, but several spring crops are ready here in the South. Add a new dish to your family favorites!
Use the bunny's visit to start talking about your garden. Growing a garden makes for a great family project. Even if you don't have a yard, you can grow herbs in a windowsill or tomatoes in a container. Nothing tastes better (or more rewarding) than food you've grown yourself.
Take a look at the green policies of your church. Do those church bulletins get recycled? Are the cleaners used in the fellowship hall eco-friendly? Suggest small changes and go from there.

What suggestions do others have for making the holiday more earth-friendly?

Comments (3)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sabrina 3-18-2008 @ 4:06PM

Saving your baskets, plastic eggs, and that plastic "grass" is a good idea. We've had Easter for 3 years in a row now with the same baskets, eggs, and plastic grass, and the stuff still looks brand new. I did this because I'm cheap though, glad to know it's also helpful for the environment. Is there an alernative to the plastic grass stuff, besides paper which is just as wasteful? I'm not really fond of pastic, but it can be reused more times than paper.

Cynthia 3-18-2008 @ 7:16PM

I was just researching that very thing since I don't want plastic basket filler dragged through the house. Some ideas I found: cheap beaded necklaces and shoestring licorice. If I wasn't worried about the mess, I might also consider regular shredded paper since I already shred my junk mail. It is pretty colourful, too!