A 100 per cent plastic-free local company is celebrating its first Easter next month. We spoke to one of the entrepreneurs behind the idea, who is encouraging parents to change their shopping habits – and children to play differently.

Saffron Walden Reporter: The alternative to an Easter egg: a ChocInPlay chocolate gift. It contains organic, dairy free chocolate, a 3D puzzle and a fun facts card. Photo: ChocInPlay.The alternative to an Easter egg: a ChocInPlay chocolate gift. It contains organic, dairy free chocolate, a 3D puzzle and a fun facts card. Photo: ChocInPlay. (Image: ChocInPlay)

Elmdon-based Katherine Rhodes launched online-only business PomPom in October last year, together with a friend she made at university, Cecily Breese.

She was inspired from the amount of plastic she noticed after having her daughters Beatrix, three, and Clementine, one.

Katherine said: “I started thinking about it in February last year. Clementine was five months old and I was looking at everything, thinking, ‘wow, look at all this plastic!’”

Katherine and Cecily are both mums and say they are “responding to the plastic crisis in many ways”, and offering alternative to plastic Easter presents.

“We want to make it possible for people to come to one place for everything they need,” Katherine said, adding:

“We realised when we were living with our little children how much plastic was coming into our house. Our business is a response to that.

“We are trying to find alternatives to everyday items in the home and want to encourage people to buy products which last a lifetime.”

She says this Easter PomPom will sell Easter egg cups and Easter chocolate eggs with a cardboard game, which resemble kinder eggs – with a plastic-free twist.

The products come in different shapes and as various animals, but one thing is sure: there will be a lot of rabbit-themed items.

“We have rabbits, dinosaurs, woodland and endangered animals, it’s educational as well,” said Katherine.

Katherine says the relatively new business is “a really big achievement” she and her friend are “really proud of”, because it required good communication.

Cecily is eight hours behind as she is currently living in Vancouver, Canada.

“We set up this business without being together. Everything was done through Skype.

“It proves it’s possible to run a business with a friend.”

PomPom donates a part of their profits to the UK Marine Conservation Society, from three products including a bamboo toothbrush.