Despite many people self-isolating, consumers in the UK are still looking forward to celebrating Easter, with more than four in five (84%) saying they will buy Easter eggs this year. The snapshot survey amongst UK consumers, released by Pro Carton, the European Association of carton and cartonboard manufacturers, found that of those buying Easter eggs, half (46%) will buy the same amount as they did in 2019. 36% said they would purchase fewer eggs, and 18% would buy more.
With social distancing in effect, 16% said they would be leaving them on the doorsteps of their loved ones this year, but only 8% were going to order Easter eggs online.
The results suggest that despite the UK government’s lockdown, families are still looking for ways to enjoy the Easter weekend. Unsurprisingly, when asked how they were planning to celebrate the day, three in four (75%) said they would be doing so with members of their household, with 44% phoning friends or family.
When consumers purchasing Easter eggs were asked what they would do with the packaging, over two thirds (69%) said they would recycle it, while 13% said they would keep it for a while, 9% said they would re-use it with just 7% saying it would go into the general waste bin.
Tony Hitchin, General Manager of Pro Carton, said, “It’s great to see our survey finding that over 90% of Easter egg packaging will be being recycled, reused or kept by the majority of consumers as it’s important that we keep recycling as much cartonboard as we can during this unprecedented time, to keep the circular economy going. Families with young children are no doubt on the hunt for exciting things to do indoors over the Easter weekend, which is why we’ve put together interactive cut out activities to do with Easter packaging. which can be downloaded for free!”
Hitchin concluded, “We know from last year’s survey that 9 out of 10 consumers prefer their Easter Eggs in cartonboard packaging. This year the eco-credentials of the packaging is unlikely to be front of mind but we do still encourage consumers to choose cartonboard wherever possible, as it’s recyclable, biodegradable and comes from a renewable source.”
