Egg packaging may be one of the only items in the grocery store that it’s socially acceptable to open, inspect the product, and then decide whether or not to purchase. Having solid packaging is essential to protecting this very delicate food product. Eggs usually come in three types of packaging: polystyrene, paper carton, or plastic.

I’ll be investigating how to recycle this Target-brand plastic egg package when I’m done with it. First. Let’s check out what the How2Recycle Label says. (Fun fact, Target is a big supporter of How2Recycle. You can find our label on the majority of Up&Up and Archer Farms products).

Check Locally. That means I may not be able to recycle this package in my community, since the Check Locally label means that between 60% and 20% of Americans can recycle this package at their curbside recycling or nearest drop-off facility. I can check my local system at www.how2recycle.info/check-locally.

From there I can select to search for my package using Earth 911. This one is tricky. Plastic cartons are not a searchable category in Earth 911’s directory. Their label says the package is made of 100% recycled PET (a type of plastic) and find that #1 PET rigid plastics are recyclable at a drop off center in my community. Recycling infrastructures vary widely community-from-community. Our Check Locally labels let you know that the package might not be recycled in your community. We encourage everyone to know their local system and to contact your recycler if you have any questions about recycling.

After using my eggs on a yummy banana bread recipe, I’m ready to recycle of my plastic egg carton.

And then it’s off to the recycling center to start its next journey to be made into a whole new product!