Veterinary office prohibits it: Egg cartons may not be reused

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.

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. However, Axel Steinmatz and Andreas Krallinger from the Bargteheider Landei company in the Stormarn district are now expressly asking that the boxes be thrown into the waste paper instead. There are signs with this information on their self-service machines.

Hygienic reasons speak against reuse

Used egg cartons cannot be adequately cleaned or disinfected. The Stormarn district veterinary office points out that reuse poses health risks. “Cartons can transmit germs and are therefore not suitable for resale,” the office explains to NDR.

The consumer advice center also recommends that you only use the cartons once, as the eggs can contain pathogens such as salmonella.

EU regulation makes one-time use mandatory

Frank Brinker, specialist in veterinary and food monitoring in the Stormarn district, refers to the EU hygiene regulation. According to this, packaging material must not be a source of contamination for food. Cardboard egg cartons are therefore only intended for one-time use.

What customers should consider

Despite repeated warnings, boxes continue to pile up at the machine, some of them dirty or covered in advertising. Farmers have to dispose of these themselves. The boxes are made from recycled paper and belong in the blue bin after use. For your own transport of eggs They can continue to be used, but customers are not allowed to return them to the sales cycle, emphasizes Bargteheider Landei to NDR.

Use egg cartons cleverly

Empty egg cartons do not have to end up in the trash immediately. They can easily be used in the home, for example as small growing pots for herbs, vegetables or flowers. The boxes can be easily cut into individual compartments, small holes made for drainage and filled with soil. The seeds germinate safely and the plants can later be placed directly in the bed or in a larger pot together with the cardboard. This saves money, reduces plastic waste and uses the boxes in a sustainable way.