€36m to be spent on 17 million eggs this weekend

Easter egg sales are predicted to top €36m this year as chocoholics chomp through more than 17 million eggs.

According to Repak, one in five people will spend up to €30 on Easter eggs this weekend.

The teen and adult market accounts for 60% of all sales.

Irish householders generated more than 19,337 tonnes in packaging last Easter.

Marketing and communications manager with Repak, Laura Murphy, is advising people not to forget to recycle this weekend.

"Almost every houshold in the country has a recycling bin now," she said, adding if people's spare packaging overflowed the bin, they could bring the excess to their local recycling centre.

Meanwhile, events will take place around the country this weekend to commemorate the 1916 Rising.

A Póc Fada competition will take place in the Phoenix Park in Dublin this afternoon.

While on Sunday, a ceremony will take place outside the GPO led by President Michael D. Higgins, An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D. and the Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney T.D.