Packaging(s) of the Month April – sustainable Easter

We kept our eyes peeled around Easter and specifically looked for a special packaging idea that deserved to be named our Packaging of the Month in April. And lo and behold, more than one bunny hopped into our nest for this award. Below we present two exciting packaging innovations from this year’s Easter range.

The Easter bunny with a slightly different coat

What would Easter be without a crunchy chocolate bunny? Definitely not the same. But there’s nothing to stop the traditional Easter sweet from being wrapped up in a slightly different way. The Swiss company Migros thought so too. Its own brand Frey produces chocolate and naturally also offers “chocolate bunnies” at Easter. Originally, these were wrapped in metallised PET shells like most of their counterparts. This year, they were presented in a completely new guise for the first time.

What the innovative bunny shell is made of

The innovative bunny shell is mainly made from potato starch, which is obtained from the waste produced during the production of French fries. Starch from industrial potatoes is also used. Paper fibres and water complete the list of ingredients for the unusual rabbit skin.

Note: Industrial potatoes have a much higher starch content than food potatoes and are not suitable for direct consumption. They are grown to utilise their starch for soups and sauce thickeners as well as paper, cardboard and glue.

Advantages and disadvantages of packaging

The biggest advantage of the packaging for the chocolate bunny is the recyclability of the material. Migros is also saving a total of around 6000 kilograms of plastic by switching from PET to potato starch packaging. From a consumer perspective, it is worth mentioning that the colour characteristics of the bunnies – they are available in three different variants – have remained the same despite the new packaging, so that consumers can still easily identify their sweet favourites on the shelf. With transparent bags, for example, this aspect would no longer have been guaranteed.

However, there are also disadvantages that neither Migros nor we want to conceal: The production of industrial potatoes requires acreage, water and pesticides. This naturally limits the environmental footprint to some extent. But the step from non-recyclable to recyclable packaging is nevertheless a big and important one. Another point of criticism concerns the weight of the sleeve. This is relatively high in relation to that of the chocolate bunny. However, the company is already working on a solution to make the packaging lighter.

A long road with obstacles

Migros worked intensively on the new bunny dress for around two years. A creative team started work at the beginning of 2020. The packaging had to be safe in direct contact with the chocolate – ensuring this was one of the biggest challenges during development. The realisation of the closure was also difficult. After all, the shell halves had to fit together well and hold together reliably. It also took a long time to find the right supplier. Production started at the end of 2022.

Eggs made from nougat in real eggshells

Easter eggs are also an essential part of Easter celebrations in this country. But it doesn’t always have to be the real eggs with individual colouring or painting. Who can resist melt-in-the-mouth nougat eggs? Gut Springenheide from Ochtrup in Westphalia has found a special, sustainable packaging solution for this, as the chocolatey eggs are wrapped in real eggshells. How does that work?

The reuse of empty eggshells

At Gut Springenheide, the egg takes centre stage. The German company creates various products from, with and in the shape of eggs. These include pancakes and omelettes. The manufacturer requires egg yolks and egg whites for these delicacies. However, he doesn’t simply throw away the resulting empty eggshells, but reuses them – in a decidedly creative way, namely to coat his creamy nougat eggs.

A true work of art

It is anything but easy to open and clean fresh chicken eggs so that they can then be filled with nougat and offered as a sweet treat. This requires a lot of experience and craftsmanship. After all, the shells have to guarantee a certain shelf life for the nougat eggs and also look appealing. It is therefore fair to say that these extraordinary eggs are true works of art.

Nougat eggs in an egg carton of 4

The nougat eggs are wrapped in real eggshells and sold in a standard 4-pack egg carton filled with some wood wool. This results in a classic, simple and environmentally friendly overall package, as all the elements are sustainable – except for the nougat eggs, of course, as most people will probably have eaten them in no time at all with a lot of gusto. To be able to peel them more quickly, the eggs should be cooled briefly beforehand.

A little tip: eggshells, whether from nougat or conventional hen’s eggs, contain a good portion of lime and are suitable as fertiliser in your own garden.

Conclusion: Treats for a sustainable Easter nest

With chocolate bunnies from Frey and nougat eggs from Gut Springenheide, you can create a uniquely sustainable Easter nest. If you also use a reusable basket or plate and edible grass, you can create an Easter gift that will not only delight the recipient, but also every hare, whose habitat – namely nature – is preserved and protected by such a thoughtful combination.