Over half (57%) of the Irish public will keep up the tradition of buying chocolate Easter eggs this year, research shows.
At least one in 10 will buy 8 or more chocolate eggs, yet over two thirds (69%) don’t plan to spend more than €20, according to new study conducted by Repak.
The environmental not-for-profit organisation's findings highlighted that older generations are inclined to spend more, with those polled aged between 45-54 willing to spend over €75 or more on chocolate.
Although majority of those surveyed (92%) said they would prefer to receive Easter eggs that are accompanied by fully recyclable packaging, other factors such as value for money (37%) and type of chocolate (36%) are more important than recyclable packaging (10%) when choosing what chocolate eggs to buy.
Shelf Life
The study showed that 82% of respondents agree that the date that chocolate eggs typically go on sale in shops is too early for them, with this sentiment strongest among the over 55’s (90%).
Perhaps unsurprising then that almost six in 10 (59%) said that they buy too many chocolate eggs and that it would be easier to manage the volume they purchase if these went on sale later.
Waste Not, Want Not
Almost a third (31%) of those surveyed said that they will keep chocolate Easter eggs for over a month if they don’t consume them over the Easter weekend.
Women (38%) tend to keep chocolate eggs longer than men (25%), the study showed.
However, 24% consume their chocolate eggs within the week, suggesting a significant volume of recyclable chocolate egg packaging in recycling bins just after Easter weekend.
Séamus Clancy, CEO of Repak said: "Every year, we see an increase in packaging waste generated over the Easter period, and this year we expect a similar trend."
"We are asking everyone to continue recycling and play their part in ensuring we continue to protect our environment at this difficult time. So, remember to only put recyclable items in the recycling bin that are clean, dry and loose," he added.
In 2019, Irish residents spent €44 million on chocolate eggs and a record €208 million on groceries in the week leading up to Easter weekend, the group said.
© 2020 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
