YORK-based chocolate firm Nestlé has been praised for going green and cutting the packaging of its Easter eggs.

The confectionery giant, which has produced 25 million eggs this Easter, says it has cut its overall packaging by 30 per cent, and has removed plastic from the surrounds of 80 per cent of its eggs.

David Rennie, managing director of Nestlé Confectionery said: “Our consumers have always told us they love Easter and the traditional of giving chocolate eggs, but at 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 plastic where we can and we’ve made an overall packaging reduction of 30 per cent. 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.”

While Nestlé eggs are made in Halifax, much of the accompanying confectionery is made in York, and the firm was today praised locally.

Ann Reid, City of York Council’s executive member for environmental issues, said: “It is good to see that Nestlé has listened to consumers who are fed up with wasteful, excessive packaging.

“However, to have a real impact this packaging needs to be part of a broader trend, rather than just a one-off change.

“People in York have shown a great commitment to recycling, showcased by the fact that we have now hit our 45 per cent recycling target. For us to improve our recycling rate even further we need manufacturers to continue to work to find ways to cut excess packaging and make the packaging they do use easier to recycle.”

Coun Reid said Nestlé’s move would save an estimated 700 tonnes of waste. The firm makes one in four Easter eggs sold in the UK.