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Paper Egg Carton
Kerbside collection: check your council
Kerbside rules differ across New Zealand — bins, crates and accepted materials all vary — so your council's own guide is the only reliable answer for where this goes at home.
Find your councilDrop-off Location
This item can also be taken to specialised drop-off locations, which may be required for large quantities.
Impact: Cardboard sent to landfill contributes to greenhouse gas emissions as it decomposes. Recycling helps conserve resources and reduce waste.
Did you know? Composting egg cartons can add nutrients to your garden, but ensure they are made from unbleached, non-dyed paper pulp.
Your council is the authoritative source for local collection rules.
In short
A moulded paper egg carton is made from recycled paper that has already been through the system several times, and its fibres are now too short to be worth much to a recycler. The best thing you can do with a clean one is compost it or reuse it. Whether kerbside recycling will take it varies between councils, so check your own list — and never recycle one that has raw egg on it.
What it's made of
What something is made from is what decides where it can go — this is usually the reason an item can't be recycled.
- Moulded paper pulp, usually made from recycled newsprint and cardboard.
- The fibres are short, because paper fibres get shorter every time they are recycled. Moulded fibre is typically the last useful life of that material.
- Clear plastic cartons are PET and belong with plastics; foam cartons are polystyrene and belong with neither.
Before you get rid of it
- Take off any plastic film, stickers or labels.
- Check for raw egg. A carton with egg residue on it should not go in the recycling — put it in the compost or the rubbish.
- Tear it into a few pieces if you are composting it, which speeds things up considerably.
- Flatten it if it is going in the recycling bin, to save space.
Common mistakes
- Recycling a carton with raw egg on it. Food residue contaminates the paper stream, and raw egg is a hygiene issue as well.
- Assuming all egg cartons are the same. Paper, clear plastic and foam cartons are three entirely different materials with three different answers.
- Putting foam cartons in the paper recycling because they are the same shape. Foam is polystyrene and is not accepted in kerbside recycling anywhere in New Zealand.
- Refilling cartons with eggs for sale or gifting. Reusing your own at home is fine; selling in second-hand cartons runs into food safety rules.
Better than binning it
- Seed raising is the classic use. The carton holds the seedlings, and the sections can be separated and planted straight into the ground, where they break down.
- Torn into strips and dipped in candle wax, they make excellent fire starters.
- They are useful for sorting and storing small things — screws, beads, earrings.
- If you buy eggs at a farmers' market, ask whether the seller wants clean cartons back. Many are glad to have them.
What happens to it
Paper is recycled by pulping it in water and re-forming the fibres into new paper, and the fibres shorten a little each time. After several cycles they are too short to bond well, and moulded products like egg cartons are often where that material ends up. Composting it returns the carbon to the soil, which is why composting a low-grade fibre product is usually a better outcome than trying to recycle it again.
Questions people ask
Can paper egg cartons go in the recycling bin?
It depends on your council — acceptance of moulded fibre varies around New Zealand, so check the list your council publishes. Even where they are accepted, the fibres are near the end of their useful life, so composting a clean carton is usually the better option.
Can you compost egg cartons?
Yes, and it is the easiest answer for a paper carton. Tear it into pieces first so it breaks down faster. It counts as a carbon-rich "brown" in a compost heap, which helps balance out food scraps.
What about clear plastic or foam egg cartons?
Clear cartons are usually PET and go with plastics where your council accepts that grade. Foam cartons are expanded polystyrene, which no kerbside service in New Zealand accepts — those go in the rubbish.
Can I reuse an egg carton for eggs?
For your own eggs at home, yes. If you are selling or giving eggs away, food safety rules around second-hand packaging apply, so use new cartons for anything leaving your household.