4,500 tons of packaging are generated every year in the UK by those delightful Easter eggs - a major portion being plastics.

David Rennie, Managing Director at Nestlé Confectionery: “Our consumers have always told us they love Easter and the traditional of giving chocolate eggs, but at the same time, they were concerned about bulky Easter egg packaging which was difficult to recycle.

“This year we’ve worked hard to get rid of unrecyclable plastic where we can and we’ve made an overall packaging reduction of 30 %. So people will notice that their egg box looks smaller, but chocolate lovers should be reassured that they still contain the same amount of chocolate.”

Nearly every fourth Easter egg sold in the UK is a Nestlé egg, with popular brands such as Smarties®, Kit Kat®, Aero® and Milky Bar®. Nestlé were able to completely substitute the plastic protective packaging for 20 million eggs with a clever cartonboard solution.

Since Easter 2009, all the smaller and medium-sized eggs - roughly 80% of the entire product range - are packaged in cardboard baskets. The baskets are both attractive and easy to recycle. In addition Nestlé provide clear information about recycling on the back of the carton to support their customers.

The consumers have reacted very positively. Andy McQuade, Seasonal Marketing Manager, Nestlé Confectionery said: “We supported these measures with an advertising campaign in newspapers and magazines. And we've received a good response from the press. We haven’t seen the final market data for Easter, but sales figures to date look good. Consumers love the new design of the cardboard baskets. They look great and are easy to recycle, so tick every box.”