Many customers bring back empty egg cartons out of environmental concern, but this is prohibited for hygiene reasons. Find out why the boxes can only be used once.
Many customers want to protect the environment and bring empty egg cartons back to the farm shop. But farmers cannot reuse them for hygiene reasons. This causes a lack of understanding among consumers. The Stormarn district veterinary office explains this NDRwhy returning cardboard boxes can pose a risk to food safety and why one-time use is required by law.
Both those German food hygiene regulations as well as the consumer advice center recommend that the cartons only be used once, as pathogens such as salmonella can be found on the eggs. According to the hygiene regulations, packaging may only be reused if it is easy to clean or disinfect – egg cartons are therefore not suitable for reuse.
Do not return empty egg cartons
Purchased directly from the farmer Eggs often leave empty cardboard boxes behind. Until now, these have often been returned to avoid waste and to relieve the burden on farmers. According to the NDR report, Axel Steinmatz and Andreas Krallinger from the Bargteheider Landei company in the Stormarn district ask that the boxes be put in the waste paper instead. There are signs with this information on their self-service machines.
EU regulation makes one-time use mandatory
According to the EU hygiene regulations, packaging material must not be a source of contamination for food. Cardboard egg cartons are therefore only intended for one-time use. Since according to the Consumer advice center Germs such as salmonella or campylobacter can be found on eggshells, the boxes should not be reused, at least in the food sector.
Throw away egg cartons?
According to the “Federal Institute for Public Health” can survive for several months. If you still don’t want to throw away empty egg cartons and are not worried about germs, you can use them, for example, as small growing pots for herbs, vegetables or flowers. The cartons can be easily cut into individual compartments, small holes are made for drainage and filled with soil. The seeds germinate safely in them, and the plants can later be placed directly in the bed with the cardboard or in a larger pot. This saves money, reduces plastic waste and uses them Cardboard boxes in a sustainable way.
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