By: Avery Jolin

Easter is one of the most fun holidays for both kids and adults alike, but the celebrations can take a toll on the planet. Check out our five tips to make your celebration more sustainable and maybe even more fun. Small actions on a large scale make a huge impact. The Easter bunny–and the Earth–will be grateful.

1. Use recycled eggs for the Easter egg hunt.

Humans consume over 300 million tons of plastic a year, including those popular plastic containers used for Easter egg hunts. A better option: Eco Eggs, made from recycled products. You can reuse them every year just like the old plastic kind that end up in landfills. Plus, they’re non-toxic and they don’t emit ingestible microplastic.

2. Try eco-friendly alternatives to Easter basket grass.

Ditch the pre-made and expensive plastic or paper grass for Easter basket filler! For craftier people, try making your own with paper and scissors. Or, try foraging basket filler from Mother Nature if you have access to flowers, long grass, leaves, branches, or twigs. If you’re short on time, try green yarn as a substitute or buying an eco-friendly imitation grass like this one made from wood fibers.

3. Eat Fair Trade-certified chocolate.

With all due respect to other candies, chocolates are arguably the most delicious part of Easter. But working conditions for many communities who produce its key ingredient, cocoa, involve forced labor and slave-conditions. This Easter, help cocoa producers earn a living wage and choose from these Fair Trade-certified chocolates or look for these product stamps.

4. Gift a tree for $10.

Need to give an Easter present to someone you love? Consider an Adopt-a- Tree from the Orangutang Project for as little as $10! It’s the perfect way to celebrate spring and help the planet!

5. Decorate permanent eggs.

Real eggs are fun to dye and decorate, but they go bad pretty quickly. Seriously: think of how many pretty, hardboiled eggs will be tossed and wasted this Easter! Try wooden eggs instead. You can paint, stamp, or bedazzle them like real eggs, but these won’t go bad or stink after a few days! Plus, they make a great keepsake. You can always paint over them next year.

Photo: Sarah Pflug