Recyclable plastic cartons to save 1 million eggs

UK supermarket giant Tesco has successfully trialled recyclable plastic packaging that will prevent more than one million eggs going to waste each year.

Currently, all of the supermarket’s free-range eggs are sold in cardboard pulp cartons. If one single egg breaks during transit, it can seep through the cardboard and damage numerous packs stacked beneath it.

By using a recyclable plastic packaging material made from recycled plastic drinks bottles, the seepage from a broken egg can be contained to one pack.

Over the last eight weeks, the company has trialled the new dozen-egg packaging in almost 200 stores served by depots in the Livingston area in Scotland and the Belfast area in Northern Ireland.

“We know that plastic packs reduce food waste - now we have a pack that will reduce food waste and offer customers a more environmentally friendly packaging solution,” said Tesco technologist Lee Gray.

“If used across all our free-range egg range, then it will save on average more than one million eggs each year that would otherwise be going to waste.

“The results of the trial are very positive and we hope to be able to roll out the packaging by the end of the year.”

The cartons will also take up less space during transportation, require less shelf space in store and decrease the company’s CO₂ emissions.

Tesco is working with a third-party supply chain consultancy firm to measure the exact benefits of using the recycled plastic cartons.