Peep This: 5 Waste Facts You Didn’t Expect This Spring

If your spring plans include hunting for plastic eggs, chomping on marshmallow Peeps, and decking out your space with pastel everything—you’re in good company. However, while the Easter Bunny might be great at hiding eggs, there’s something else hiding in plain sight this time of year: an increase in landfilled waste.

At Wastebits, we work with companies year-round to uncover what’s slipping through the cracks in their waste streams—whether it’s paying too much to haul waste away from their facilities, overlooked compliance issues, or materials that could be recycled instead of trashed. And Spring, for all its celebrations and fresh starts, comes with a surprising side of waste you might not expect.

In the spirit of Easter surprises (and because we all need a little levity now and then), here are five facts about seasonal waste that might just crack your shell—and a few ways Wastebits can help you clean it up.

1. Americans Use Approximately 250 Million Plastic Easter Eggs Each Year

Plastic Easter eggs are a staple of many spring celebrations, but their environmental impact is significant. In the early 2000s, Bleyer Industries, once a leading U.S. manufacturer, produced up to 250 million plastic eggs annually . While exact current figures are elusive, the continued popularity of Easter egg hunts suggests that hundreds of millions of these eggs are still in circulation each year.​

The problem? Many of these eggs are used once and then discarded, contributing to plastic waste that can persist in the environment for centuries.​

Wastebits assists businesses in identifying and mitigating sources of various plastic wastes. Our sustainability programs can help you pinpoint items in your waste streams, suggesting sustainable alternatives, reducing your landfill usage and environmental impact.​

2. Easter Generates Tons of Food Waste—and Most of It’s Avoidable

Between overcooked hams, untouched deviled eggs, and chocolate bunnies with just one bite taken out, Easter celebrations tend to produce a surprising amount of food waste. According to the USDA, roughly 30–40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted throughout the year—and holidays only make that number spike.

Seasonal gatherings often mean overbuying, oversized portions, and forgotten leftovers—all of which end up in the trash. For businesses in food service, manufacturing, or distribution, this problem scales fast.

That’s where Wastebits comes in. We help facilities evaluate their waste streams for organics that could be composted, converted to energy, or diverted from landfills entirely. Our platform supports food waste tracking, vendor collaboration, and transparent reporting to help your business shrink both its footprint and its disposal costs.

3. Seasonal Decorations Are a Hidden Landfill Contributor

Tinsel grass. Glittery eggs. Disposable baskets wrapped in shiny plastic. These festive touches may look great on the table, but once the holiday’s over, most of them can’t be reused—or recycled. That makes seasonal décor one of the stealthiest contributors to spring waste.

The EPA has long warned about the environmental impact of single-use and decorative plastics, much of which end up in landfills or as litter. And while consumers are part of the equation, businesses play a big role too—especially those in retail, event planning, or hospitality.

Wastebits helps uncover the full picture. Our waste audits and sustainability programs are designed to identify where items are inflating your waste totals and costing you more in the long run. From smarter sourcing to reuse strategies, we’ll help you decorate with purpose—and without the waste.

4. Retailers See a Spike in Packaging Waste After Easter

From chocolate eggs nestled in molded plastic trays to toys wrapped in layers of shrink wrap and cardboard, Easter-themed products often come with excessive packaging. Once the holiday festivities conclude, this packaging doesn’t just vanish—it accumulates in dumpsters, loading docks, and, ultimately, landfills.​

In fact, containers and packaging comprise approximately 28% of the total municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) .​

Retailers, distributors, and manufacturers are particularly affected by this seasonal surge. The influx of packaging waste not only strains waste management systems but also impacts environmental sustainability efforts.​

Wastebits provides comprehensive solutions to help businesses manage and mitigate packaging waste. Our tools enable tracking of materials across supply chains, support data-driven waste reduction strategies, and facilitate connections with sustainable partners to help close the loop on various waste streams.​

5. PPE Usage Doesn’t Take a Holiday

While Easter brings a brief pause for many, essential industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics continue operating—and so does their generation of personal protective equipment (PPE) waste. Items such as gloves, masks, and gowns are vital for safety but often end up in landfills after a single use.​

At Wastebits, we understand the challenges businesses face in managing PPE waste. Our PPE Recovery Program offers sustainable solutions to divert these materials from landfills, turning potential waste into resources through recycling and energy recovery processes.​

By partnering with us, companies can not only enhance their sustainability efforts but also achieve cost savings and compliance with environmental regulations. Let us help you keep your operations clean and green, even during the holidays.​

Conclusion

Even the lightest holidays come with a heavy waste footprint.

From plastic eggs and packaging to leftover food, Spring celebrations reveal just how easy it is for waste to hide in plain sight. But with the right waste solutions partner, your business doesn’t have to keep chasing it down.

We help businesses uncover what’s slipping through their waste streams—and turn those hidden inefficiencies into opportunities for cost savings, compliance, and sustainability wins. If you’re looking to audit your operations, recover valuable materials, or simplify waste reporting, Wastebits is here to help you clean things up.

Ready to take the next step? Let’s talk.