How to Recycle Egg Cartons

Egg cartons can be made from different substances such as plastic, Styrofoam or cardboard. Very often these just end up in the trash and from there they end up in landfill. But there are many ways that this can be prevented with a little creativity on your behalf.

Can egg cartons be recycled?

The problem with recycling egg cartons is that very often they become contaminated by food. However, cardboard ones can easily be recycled along with other various papers and cardboards. It should also be possible to recycle plastic egg cartons along with other plastics at your local recycling center. However, it is extremely likely that Styrofoam egg cartons will not be able to be recycled, so you should try to find other uses for them.

Because landfill is such a problem, all of us should try to think of ways in which we can re-use egg cartons, and there are multiple ways in which we can do this.

If you want to dispose of them at a recycling center and are unsure of the closest to where you live, visit www.earth911.com and enter your zip code.

What are the possibilities for recycling egg cartons?

Reusing egg cartons is the best possible option. There are a whole bunch of ways you can do this, and the following are some of the various uses you might like to use:

• Storage for golf balls
• Break up Styrofoam egg cartons and use as a packaging material. This is virtually identical to the Styrofoam packing peanuts or inserts which can be purchased from packaging companies
• Egg cartons are the perfect tool for growing seeds until they are ready to be transplanted outside or to a larger container
• Cardboard ones can be used as fire-lighters for starting bonfires
• Styrofoam egg cartons can be washed and used as ice-cube trays
• Use for various crafts; they are great for cutting up and using in many creative ways. Perfect for kids and adults alike. You could even consider donating them to your local school for the kids to use there.

But what about the resources used in the egg carton recycling process?

If you re-use your egg cartons then there are absolutely no resources used in this type of recycling. This is the best possible way of recycling, and should be something you should try to adhere to when recycling any materials. By turning waste into something other than trash, then everyone benefits, along with the environment.

Very often cardboard egg cartons are made from recycled paper, so look for any signs which tell you so and try to buy these ones if at all possible. It is always preferable to use recycled products rather than new ones.