A scattered pile of brightly colored, open plastic Easter eggs lying empty on a grey surface — Credit: Tada Images / Shutterstock

When the last jelly bean has been found and the Easter egg hunt wraps up, there’s a question waiting in the grass: what to do with all those hollow plastic eggs?

While they’re technically made from recyclable polypropylene (#5 plastic), most municipal curbside recycling programs don’t take them in the blue bin, causing them to end up in landfills.

St. Pete nonprofit Keep Pinellas Beautiful tackles the dilemma with a new alternative recycling opportunity this Easter season.

The organization is accepting clean, dry plastic Easter eggs as well as other small #2 and #5 plastics (like those pesky yogurt containers) for use in its plastic fabrication system—a creative reuse program that turns previously single‑use plastic into new objects.

As the program develops, the hope is that the donated eggs and other single-use plastics might be transformed into an assortment of playful, functional pieces such as drink coasters, carabiners, sunglasses and even large letters used for environmental poetry and awareness projects.

“There is always an alternative to throwing things away,” Anastasia Egelie, Keep Pinellas Beautiful’s engagement coordinator, said.

The effort is part of an ongoing collaboration with Admiral Farragut Academy, with plans to showcase some of the fabricated items at special community events.

There’s no official end date to the drop‑off program. Residents and local groups can schedule a time to bring their contributions to the organization’s office by emailing volunteer@kpbcares.org or calling 727‑533‑0402 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

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