Eggs are a staple in households across Australia - we as a nation produce an estimated 6.68 billion eggs each year to provide enough yolks for breakfast favourites, but also as an ingredient for baking and cooking. With the domestic demand for eggs comes the issue of dealing with packaging — egg cartons.
Can You Recycle Egg Cartons?
Yes, you can recycle egg cartons, as long as they are of the paper pulp variety. As with any type of household waste, understanding what your egg cartons are made of will inform the best method for recycling.
Which types of egg cartons can be recycled?
Pulp egg cartons
In Australia, the vast majority of egg cartons are made from recycled paper pulp. Recycled paper pulp is the result of mixing recycled paper with water and bits of shredded fibreglass. These egg cartons have the structural consistency and feel of cardboard and are primarily used due to how eco-friendly and cheap the material is.
Pulp egg cartons are 100% biodegradable - they will naturally degrade and decompose over time. However, this is not an excuse to litter or not recycle,
Plastic egg cartons
Some egg cartons are made from a type of clear plastic known as PET, or Polyethylene Terephthalate. Plastic egg cartons offer buyers an easy way to check if any eggs are cracked without having to open up the packaging, but are not as recyclable as pulp cartons.
PET plastic is not infinitely recyclable, meaning that while you can recycle it after using up all your eggs, it may be on its last round of recycling. PET plastic can only be recycled up to 7 times before it begins to lose its structural integrity and quality.
Foam egg cartons
Most modern egg suppliers have switched out of using foam egg cartons for the simple reason that they are not sustainable. Foam egg cartons are cheap, but the polystyrene plastic is not recyclable. When disposing of foam egg cartons, do not toss them into the recycling bin.
Can you recycle egg cartons that have been soiled?
We’ve all had our fair share of cracked eggs in the packaging, leading to unfortunate wastage.
Recycling facilities do not accept egg cartons that have been soiled by egg residue, or any other type of food waste for that matter. This is because the organic material residue can contaminate the produced result of recycled material, potentially causing a lower quality.
To keep egg cartons recyclable, avoid contamination when cooking — toss eggshells directly into the bin or compost instead of back into the egg carton.
How to recycle egg cartons the right way
When disposing of egg cartons, check what material they are made of to determine if they can be recycled. Foam egg cartons should be directly disposed of along with general waste, while pulp egg cartons can be set aside for recycling. Here are some options for recycling eligible egg cartons:
Put them in the recycling bin – Make sure that the egg cartons you are recycling are free from food residue, as it can complicate the recycling process. If they’re clean, you can leave them in the yellow lid recycling bin for collection. Alternatively, if you’re a restaurant or café that has a large quantity of egg cartons, you can gather them in bulk and arrange for a rubbish removal service that offers cardboard recycling to collect and recycle them on your behalf.
Use them as compost – Pulp egg cartons can alternatively be recycled as part of a home composting initiative. Composting is a sustainable way of breaking down the egg cartons in order to create more nutritious soil for your gardening needs.