Earth-Friendly Easter Baskets

Easter was once one of the greenest of all holidays, marked by respect for nature's cycles and the beginning of a fertile spring. Unfortunately, however, Easter has become another holiday associated with plastic, junk food, and sweat-shop labor-- a trend that is unhealthy for both our children and our environment. Here are some tips for making your child's Easter basket as earth-friendly and worker-friendly as it can be.

Pick an Earth-Friendly, American-Made Easter Basket.

These days, the Easter bunny is more likely to bring a Made-in-China plastic basket than a handmade, earth-friendly alternative. Instead of buying a new basket each year and wasting precious resources, consider re-using the basket from last year. If you still have your own Easter basket from childhood, pass it on as a family heirloom-- your child will appreciate it in the years to come.

If buying a new Easter basket, choose handmade baskets made with organic materials and fair-trade labor. Companies like the Peterboro Basket Company and Amish Wares offer natural baskets, made in the U.S. by people receiving fair wages. You can feel good about supporting sustainable businesses, and the basket will be more meaningful and beautiful than a plastic gift made in a distant sweat-shop.

Choose Organic and Fair-Trade Easter Candy.

That little milk chocolate Easter bunny may be cute, but he's also the product of an industry that is responsible for massive ecological destruction, child slavery, and hazardous working environments. Even with these considerations aside, a basket full of junk food is unhealthy for your child, and you'll do her a favor in the long run by encouraging her to associate holidays with joy, not junk food.

You might want to consider skipping the candy entirely, especially if you have a baby or a toddler, but if you want to pick a few fair-trade, organic treats for your child's Easter basket, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates offers earth-friendly twists on old classics like Easter bunnies and chocolate eggs.Vegan Essentials, another green candy company, offers vegan and fair-trade lollipops, licorice, jellybeans, and more.

Pick Free- Range, Organic Easter Eggs and Natural Colors.

For a holiday dedicated to honoring the fruits of the Earth, it is tragic that chickens are so often abused in the name of Easter. USDA organic and free-range eggs are much better for the environment than conventional eggs, and the price difference is usually minimal. Free-range eggs also taste better and are much kinder to the laying hens who provide our food.

To color your the eggs for your child's Easter basket or egg hunt, there are earth-friendly alternatives to synthetic dyes. You can have your child color the eggs using nontoxic markers or crayons, or you can purchase natural food coloring instead of petrochemical-based dyes. The result is healthier for both your family and our planet.
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Choose Earth-Friendly Easter Toys.

Whether you'll be forgoing Easter candy or not, it's important to choose natural and fair-trade toys for your child's Easter basket. Instead of filling the Easter basket with plastic throw-away toys, opt for handmade, natural gifts like organic-cotton stuffed animals, hand-carved wooden ornaments,, and natural wool toys. They are likely to be safer, greener, and more meaningful than something plastic purchased on a whim.

Consider supporting disabled workers and work-at-home parents by buying handmade toys through an online retailer like Hyena Cart or Etsy. These websites are excellent sources for top-notch, earth-friendly gifts of all kinds, and the sellers offer green items that were lovingly hand-crafted at home. The Easter-egg crayons sold by many Etsy sellers are among the best choices for toddlers and preschoolers.

Easter should be a time to celebrate nature and humanity-- not pollute the planet and exploit unfair labor. By choosing Easter baskets, toys, eggs, and candy that support sustainable businesses, you can help to guarantee your child's safety while doing your part to make the world a better place.