Green Tip #83: Green Easter

Happy Holy Triduum everyone! It's almost time for Easter and you know what that means! Candy and egg hunts and ham and spending time with your family and all those good things. In fact, people can be so busy with all of the festivities that they forget about the impact that they are having on the environment. And in the tradition of all of the other holidays that have come before it, I am here to offer some solutions.

First off, let's talk about plastic. Easter is notorious for needlessly making things that exist in real life out of plastic. I completely understand plastic bags and plastic drinking bottles because you can't just walk outside and grab some natural bags or pick some natural drinking bottles off of a tree or a bush. But plastic grass??? Unless you happen to be completing your stay on the International Space Station, there's a good chance you can walk out your front door and find grass within 30 seconds. (If you're on the ISS, please don't walk out your front door. I don't see that going well.)

But seriously, normally I don't advocate tearing up greenery, but it's better than going to the store and paying money for something that's you could get right outside that you'll end up throwing away anyway. And while I'm on the subject of plastic things, what about those plastic eggs that people (I mean the Easter Bunny) fill with candy and hide. So we suddenly don't have any real eggs to use any more? I know it will be a little trickier filling them with candy, but I have an answer to that as well.

Do you know how Fabergé eggs are made? First off, you poke a small hole in each end of an egg. Then you blow in one end until all the yolk and white come out the other hole. Now be very careful you don't break the shell, because you're going to want to fill it with melted chocolate. Stick that in the freezer for a bit and presto! You've got an all natural alternative to those little plastic eggs. And what kid doesn't like misshapen lumps of chocolate that taste vaguely egg-ish?

Finally, what would Easter be without those yummy marshmallow Peeps? Well, sometimes people can get overwhelmed by the sheer number of the squishy little sugary treats and not know what to do with the leftovers once their hunger for marshmallowy goodness has been satiated. Well, I've spoken about this before, but when you think about it, marshmallow Peeps and fiberglass insulation share a lot in common. They're both soft and fluffy and can come in pink and yellow and white. That and your body probably can't break down either one of them when you eat them. Peeps would make the perfect insulation for your house!

So there you have it! Some simple ways to make your holiday just a little bit better for the environment. And don't forget what Easter is about; Jesus' death and resurrection. Seems to me that Jesus was a very early advocate for recycling...

Sorry... I know that was horrible...