Easter without plastic?

Ever Thought About a Plastic Free Easter?

Easter is coming fast!  Are you ready?  If you are like me, Easter baskets aren’t something you think about until just before Easter.  It is such a busy time of year and it always just seems to sneak up on me!

It’s also hard to find something fun, not too expensive, and lasting to put in the Easter baskets.  I usually want there to be something meaningful in there too. When my children were small, I never thought about all of the plastic that was involved with Easter.  Have you?

It’s difficult to find good stats on how many plastic eggs are generated each year, but most experts say it is likely in the hundreds of millions in the US alone.  That is a staggering number!  And most people use them only once, pitching them in the trash with all of the candy wrappers.  They are not recyclable in most locations and are usually manufactured somewhere in Asia which means they have to travel halfway around the world before we even lay eyes on them in the store.  Is this really how we want to celebrate Spring with our families?  For Christians, it seems paradoxical.  Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection from death.  And what do we do?  Celebrate with hundreds of millions of colorful plastic eggs that end up cluttering and sickening His creation in landfills or oceans.

Well, there are better alternatives and Heaven’s Dew is happy to help you learn about and make better choices for your children and families!  Let’s look at ways to make Easter a little more healthy for our communities and the earth.

Baskets

 Easter baskets:  Instead of buying cheap plastic baskets that don’t last, look for baskets made from wood or other natural fibers.  You will be able to use these year after year and your children will look forward to finding their own special Easter basket each year.  If you children are small, look for baskets that will continue to work as they grow and that stack easily for storage.  Your local thrift store is a good place to look for non-plastic baskets and boxes! An added benefit?  If they do get worn out or too small, they can be composted or taken back to the local thrift store and won’t clutter up the landfill!

Eggs

Easter eggs:  An Easter egg hunt is a tradition in many households so fillable Easter eggs are a must.  Did you know that there are non-plastic fillable egg options?  Heaven’s Dew carries fillable paper mache Easter eggs.  They come in packs of six in a reusable natural fiber drawstring bag. They are manufactured by Wrappily, a company that uses newsprint to make biodegradable wrapping paper and these eggs!  Here is what Wrappily says about their eggs:  Finally, an eco-friendly alternative to dreaded plastic Easter eggs! This colorful set of six paper maché eggs can be opened and filled with treats (Easter bunny approved!) They are extremely sturdy and can be used repeatedly—hide them, display them, save them as a keepsake year after year. Handmade with up-cycled newspaper and natural rice paste, these colorful Easter decorations are vegan, 100% plastic-free, biodegradable and compostable.

Grass

Easter grass:  You know that shiny Easter grass that comes in all different colors and is impossible to clean up once the baskets are emptied?  That’s all plastic!!!  And it is not recyclable.  Wrappily comes to the rescue again with their Eco Shreds.  These are strips of printed newsprint that are simply beautiful and can go into the composting bin when you are done with them!  Wrappily describes their Easter grass alternative this way:  

1. • A perfect nest for your goodies, this pliable recycled printed paper shred is easy to work with and provides a lofty fill to be used as Easter grass, basket/box filler, or crinkle-paper alternative. 
   • Heaven’s Dew has an extra tip for these eco-shreds – save them once Easter is done and reuse them in gift bags or as packing material in boxes! 
   • Why You’ll Love this Eco-Friendly Basket Filler:  Colorful prints add a subtle pop of color to your gift baskets, party centerpieces, and care packages being shipped around the country. 
   • The perfect party decor that can be stored with Easter decorations and reused year after year. 
   • Have fun designing a perfect basket with this fluffy stuff! Keep the fun colors and whimsy you’d expect from Easter grass and crinkle-paper filler without the plastic. 
   • Feel good knowing your eco-shred is recyclable and compostable. Your choice makes a big impact to green-up gifting. 
   • Sustainable Materials:  Package includes approximately 4 ounces of recyclable & compostable paper shred. 
   • Made in the USA with recycled, premium-grade newsprint that is sustainably milled, printed, and packaged in Washington State.  Printed with soy-based inks. 
   • Clear packaging is PLASTIC-FREE, made of biodegradable plant-based PLA

Toys and Treats

Easter basket toys and treats:  No matter the age of your child, it is fun to find toys and treats for their Easter baskets.  Heaven’s Dew can help with that too!  

1. • Young children:  Plastic-free toys and crafts are super difficult to find, but we have some ready for those baskets.  These include:
     • Origami paper kits
     • beeswax crayon sets
     • DIY beeswax honeycomb candle kits from Eco Kidz 
     • From Pied Piper Crafts, a Pirate Map Making Kit, a Sailboat Making Kit, and a Fairy Making Kit. 
     • From Sister Bees, a Busy Bee Craft Kit which includes a 6-pack of honey sticks, wildflower seed packet, lip balm, bee craft supplies, and activity cards. 
     • From Kiss Naturals a DIY bath bomb kit
     • From Natural Earth Paint, an Earth Flags painting kit, natural face paints, and a wooden egg painting kit
     • From YumEarth snack packs of gummy bears and fruit candies that are free from synthetic dyes and flavors!
   • What fun!  Oh – and flower and vegetable seeds are also a great idea in Easter baskets for kids.  We carry a wide variety of organic seeds from High Mowing.  We also have wooden garden markers that would be fun for kids to stick in the soil next to their seeds!
   • For teens/college kids and beyond we have other options including
     • Bath soak tubes
     • Body spray and Perfume from Annie Oakley
     • Soaps from Rock Creek and Beach Babe
     • Shampoo and Conditioner bars from Beach Babe
     • Seed packets and garden markers
     • Essential oil jewelry, diffusers, car diffusers, and keychains as well as essential oils to go with them from Plant Therapy
     • Nail polish from GLU,
     • Go Macro bars
     • Noom sports drinks
     • Ziparoo bags
     • Storehouse Tea
     • Tea Drops
   • For you furry friends!          
     • Rubber, rope, and leather toys from Tall Tails
     • Wood/metal food and water dishes from Tall Tails
     • Wondercide Flea and Tick Spray
     • Ear Wash and Skin Tonic from Wondercide
     • Pet Shampoo bars from Tangie and Wondercide
     • Pure and Natural Pet Grooming Wipes and Tear Stain Eye Wipes
     • Natural and organic treats for both cats and dogs.

Egg Dye

Egg dye:  Did you know that traditional food color that is in egg dye kits is derived from petroleum products?  The American Chemical Society states that “most synthetic food dyes are derived from petroleum, or crude oil.”  Want a better option?  We’ve got you – with a natural egg dye from Natural Earth Paint.  The colors are powdered and mix directly into water so you don’t have to mess with vinegar.  The colors are vibrant and fun to use.  Here is what Natural Earth Paint has to say about their egg dyes:

• • Ingredients: Spinach extract, purple carrot extract, turmeric extract, beet extract, and red cabbage extract
  • Safety & Quality:  Made in the USA. Free of nuts, dairy, and gluten. GMO, animal product, and petroleum-free. Food-safe.
  • Packaging:  This kit is packaged in a 100% post-consumer recycled paper box with vegetable-based inks and home compostable pouches.

Does any of this inspire you?  Do you have other ideas for plastic-free celebrations?  Comment below so we can all learn together!

Heaven’s Dew hopes that you all have a very blessed Easter celebration with your families, remembering and rejoicing in the true reason for the season!