Egg carton

Egg carton is a packaging material specifically designed to protect eggs during transportation and storage. It is typically made from paper pulp, plastic, or recycled paper, and is designed to hold a specific number of eggs, usually 6, 12, or 18.

History[edit | edit source]

The egg carton was invented by Joseph Coyle in 1911 in British Columbia, Canada, to solve a dispute between a farmer and a hotel owner about broken eggs. The design has been improved and modified over the years, but the basic concept remains the same.

Design[edit | edit source]

The design of an egg carton is simple yet effective. Each egg is held in a separate compartment, which reduces the risk of eggshell breakage. The carton also has a lid that can be closed to protect the eggs from damage and contamination. The size and shape of the compartments can vary depending on the size of the eggs they are designed to hold.

Materials[edit | edit source]

Egg cartons can be made from a variety of materials. The most common material is molded pulp, which is made from recycled paper. This material is cheap, lightweight, and biodegradable, making it a popular choice for egg producers. Plastic egg cartons are also common, especially for larger eggs or specialty eggs. These cartons are more durable and can be reused, but they are not biodegradable. Some egg cartons are made from polystyrene, a type of plastic that is lightweight and insulating, but not biodegradable.

Environmental Impact[edit | edit source]

The environmental impact of egg cartons depends on the material used. Paper pulp cartons are biodegradable and can be recycled, but they require energy to produce and transport. Plastic cartons are not biodegradable and can contribute to plastic pollution if not properly recycled. However, they are more durable and can be reused.

See Also[edit | edit source]

v t e Packaging
General topics	Active packaging Child-resistant packaging Contract packager Modified atmosphere/modified humidity packaging Package pilferage Package testing Package theft Packaging engineering Resealable packaging Reusable packaging Reuse of bottles Shelf life Shelf-ready packaging Shelf-stable Sustainable packaging Tamper-evident Tamper resistance Wrap rage
Product packages	Alternative wine closure Beer bottle Box wine Case-ready meat Coffee bag Cosmetic packaging Currency packaging Disposable food packaging Drink can Egg carton Evidence packaging Field ration Flour sack Foam food container Food packaging Fuel container Gas cylinder Glass milk bottle Growler Juicebox Luxury packaging Milk bag Optical disc packaging Popcorn bag Pharmaceutical packaging Plastic milk container Self-heating food packaging Screw cap (wine) Single-serve coffee container Water bottle Wine bottle
Containers	Aerosol spray Aluminium bottle Aluminum can Ampoule Antistatic bag Bag-in-box Bag Barrel Biodegradable bag Blister pack Boil-in-bag Bottle Box Bulk box Cage Case Carboy Carton Chub Clamshell Corrugated box design Crate Disposable cup Drum Endcap Envelope Flexible intermediate bulk container Folding carton Glass bottle Gunny sack Inhaler Insulated shipping container Intermediate bulk container Jar Jerrycan Jug Keg Mesh bag Multi-pack Oyster pail Packet (container) Padded envelope Pail Paper bag Paper sack Plastic bag Plastic bottle Retort pouch Sachet Squround Security bag Self-heating can Shipping container Skin pack Spray bottle Stand-up pouch Steel and tin cans Tetra Brik Thermal bag Tub (container) Tube Unit load Vial Wooden box
Materials and components	Adhesive Aluminium foil Bail handle Bioplastic Biodegradable plastic BoPET Bubble wrap Bung Cellophane Closure Coated paper Coating Coextrusion Corrugated fiberboard Corrugated plastic Cushioning Desiccant Double seam Flip-top Foam peanut Gel pack Glass Hot-melt adhesive Kraft paper Label Lid Linear low-density polyethylene Liquid packaging board Low-density polyethylene Metallised film Modified atmosphere Molded pulp Nonwoven fabric Overwrap Oxygen scavenger Package handle Packaging gas Pallet Paper Paper pallet Paperboard Plastic film Plastic pallet Plastic wrap Polyester Polyethylene Polypropylene Pressure-sensitive tape Pump dispenser Screw cap Screw cap (wine) Security printing Security tape Shock detector Shock and vibration data logger Shrink wrap Slip sheet Staple (fastener) Strapping Stretch wrap Susceptor Tamper-evident band Tear tape Temperature data logger Time temperature indicator Tinplate Velostat
Processes	Aseptic processing Authentication Automatic identification and data capture Blow fill seal Blow molding Calendering Canning Coating Containerization Converting Corona treatment Curtain coating Die cutting Die forming (plastics) Electronic article surveillance Extrusion Extrusion coating Flame treatment Glass production Graphic design HACCP Hermetic seal Induction sealing Injection moulding Lamination Laser cutting Molding Package tracking Papermaking Plastic welding Plastics extrusion Printing Quality assurance Radio-frequency identification Roll slitting Shearing (manufacturing) Thermoforming Track and trace Vacuum forming Ultrasonic welding Vacuum packaging Verification and validation
Machinery	Barcode printer Barcode reader Bottling line Calender Can seamer Cartoning machine Case sealer Check weigher Conveyor system Extended core stretch wrapper Filler Heat gun Heat sealer Industrial robot Injection molding machine Label printer applicator Lineshaft roller conveyor Logistics automation Material-handling equipment Mechanical brake stretch wrapper Multihead weigher Orbital stretch wrapper Packaging machinery Palletizer Rotary wheel blow molding systems Shrink tunnel Staple gun Tape dispenser Turntable stretch wrapper Vertical form fill sealing machine
Environment, post-use	Biodegradation Environmental engineering Glass recycling Industrial ecology Life-cycle assessment Litter Packaging waste Paper recycling Plastic recycling Recycling Reusable packaging Reverse logistics Source reduction Sustainable packaging Waste management
Category: Packaging

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