At Nellie's Free Range Eggs, we have always led with kindness and compassion.
Our hens aren't the only part of that equation: the Earth needs to be cared for, too. In 2013, Nellie's became a Certified B Corporation, but since long before that, we have been making decisions that take into account the health of our planet and environment, starting with our recycled (and recyclable!) packaging.
Our Earth-friendly egg cartons
In 2012, we made the decision to put some critical thought and research into our carton design. We commissioned a study that found our cartons to be more Earth-friendly than other types, including molded paper pulp and Polystyrene.
Our cartons are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. In many parts of the country, there's a surplus of recycled soda bottle plastic, and each carton puts that surplus to good use. When recycled again, our cartons are significantly less harmful to the environment than recycling pulp packaging, consuming far less energy and water, with no waste or added chemicals.
Why take back egg cartons?
Choosing to recycle is a thoughtful decision that we all try to make daily, and we've made that decision easy: our cartons are made from the world's most widely recycled plastics (#1), so they are readily accepted by most recycling programs. This means that when you send your Nellie's Free Range Egg cartons to a municipal recycler, they're given a chance to be made into new packaging. If you live in a state or county that doesn't recycle #1 plastics, our Take Back program is a great choice.
How to join our Take Back program
Simply store your empty cartons until you've collected at least ten. The more you collect, the better! Transportation has a carbon footprint too, and shipping back larger batches at a time helps keep that footprint low. Once you have a hefty carton collection, "nest" them in a recycled box, then submit a request for your prepaid label. Once you receive your label via email, attach it to your box, drop it off at your local post office, and go about your day knowing that even a small action can make a big positive impact on our planet.
