EASTER is just around the corner and there was much “eggcitement” at St Patrick’s Primary School in Dumbarton this week.

While Easter is the one time of year when it’s just about acceptable to eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it’s also a time when vast amounts of recyclable materials can end up in general waste bins.

And before they tucked into eggs kindly donated by Morrisons Dumbarton, St Patrick’s pupils Niamh McConnachie, Dylan Murphy, Jessica Sim and Nathan Lavery, all aged five, were keen to remind everyone to make sure the packaging from their Easter eggs is recycled.

In Dumbarton and the Vale, the cardboard box, plastic shell casing and even the foil wrapping can all be recycled by putting them into your blue bin – ensuring there is no chocolate left in the foil. And in the unlikely scenario that there is any leftover chocolate, that can go in your food waste recycling.

Easter eggs are one of the most over-packaged items on the market and as part of the “We Wanna Do It All Again” message being spread via an ongoing recycling campaign, the council is asking all residents to ensure no Easter egg packaging ends up in the general waste bin this year.

Councillor Iain McLaren, convener of infrastructure, regeneration and economic development, told the Reporter: “We are so pleased to be spreading the recycling message to our young people because we know that if we can get them into the habit early, they will likely always be enthusiastic about it.

“While we want everyone to enjoy the Easter break, we really hope that all residents take the simple steps to ensure all the packaging from their eggs is put in the correct bin.

“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has got behind this campaign so far and who is taking steps to do the right thing.”

Cardboard, plastic and metal can all be recycled to be used again.

This saves the council around 50 per cent when compared to the cost of sending it to landfill and it also has a positive impact on the environment.