Call it what you want (we’ve heard extra, bougie, and luxe, among other things): our egg carton is unlike anything that’s ever graced the shelf. But it wasn’t created overnight or out of thin air, and its design wouldn’t have been possible without the ingenuity that came before it. When heritage and modern needs converge, innovation happens. So let’s start at the beginning.
The invention of the egg carton
Prior to 1911 and before the widespread introduction of grocery stores in the United States, the vessel of choice for egg selling was the humble basket. Egg breakage was rampant, so much so that it was the catalyst for the invention of the world’s first egg carton. Baskets weren’t cutting it anymore.
Blast from the past
Let’s back up, though. In 1906, a man named Thomas Peter Bethell made the jump from basket to box with an invention known as the Raylite Egg Box. Made from wood and containing individual cardboard compartments for each egg, it was the first egg transporter of its kind. So vintage! They go for upwards of $300 on Ebay these days.
A few years later, a newspaper editor hailing from British Columbia invented the first iteration of the egg carton as we know it. Legend says that Joseph Coyle was dining at a local hotel in 1911 when an argument erupted between the hotel owner and the hotel’s egg supplier. Over what, you ask? Broken eggs in the hotel’s latest shipment. Valid. Naturally, Coyle returned to his office (we imagine he finished his breakfast first) and, over the course of a few weeks, invented the egg carton.
Coyle’s first iteration had the same long and narrow shape as the mass produced egg cartons of today, with the only obvious difference being the lack of “cups” on the bottom. Basically, it looked like a box from the outside. Under the lid is where the magic happened: much like the Raylite Egg Box, Coyle’s egg carton contained individual compartments for each egg. However, the inventor took things a step further by adding V-shaped pieces of cardboard to each compartment, sort of like “slings” to cradle each egg in place during those bumpy train rides. It was revolutionary, obviously. And suddenly, Coyle was making big moves. Soon after his breakthrough, he patented his egg carton, automated the process by inventing a machine (no biggie), and began producing them all over North America.
Egg cartons through the decades
So how did we get to where we are today? Coyle’s egg carton isn’t quuuuite today’s egg carton, but it is the blueprint for it. In 1921, Morris Koppelman improved upon Coyle’s design, bringing it closer to the modern version. Ten years later, Francis H. Sherman patented an egg carton made with formed and pressed paper pulp, just like the ones that line grocery store aisles now. Almost 40 years later, polystyrene foam got its turn in the egg carton business. Styrofoam was all the rage in 1967.
Innovation informed by heritage
The Consider Pastures egg carton is the love child of Coyle’s revolutionary design and the avant-garde notion that this unassuming object has the potential to be more than just a vessel. With a patent pending, it’s a unique, premium, and innovative take on a type of food packaging that hasn’t changed drastically since its inception, but coupled with a nod to the original and its intended purpose. Although they probably won’t take a horse and buggy or train ride any time soon, our eggs would probably survive one just fine: the individual compartments in our cartons cradle each fragile egg, minimizing breakage during trips to and from the store. The deliberately minimalist and distinctive print is hyper-aware of its surroundings, forming a cohesive pattern and modern aesthetic reminiscent of wallpaper (the cool kind, not your grandma’s) when stacked on the shelf. Smaller details like the gold foil and bold lettering ask shoppers to consider – and perhaps reconsider – what an egg carton should look like. And at the heart of the Consider carton is the same question that probably crossed the mind of Joseph Coyle in 1911: what lies beyond the status quo?
Comments
Locally the paper pulp type egg cartons are not recyclable. Your cardboard cartons look and work great. BUT! But with the metallic printing, it is questionable if they can be recycled. With all the expressed interest in sustainability -- I really want to know if this part of your product is sustainably appropriate. Thanks! peg
Appreciate the concern for our planet, Peg. While we adore the gold elements, we wouldn't have included them without being 100% sure that they don't affect the recyclability of our packaging The good news is that our cartons - metallic foil and all - are indeed recyclable at any facility that accepts paper, cardboard, and other items of that sort. If this isn't the case in your hometown, feel free to drop us a line at hello@considerpastures.com and we'll see what we can do to help ensure that our cartons get to the right place.
Sorry for this chaser comment. I DID find the information about the recyclability of your egg cartons. I now have only 1 remaining question. You talk about the eggs coming from small farms. My question is, how far do these eggs travel? Yes, the answer will vary by farm and store location. But maybe a sign in the store to indicate if the eggs are locally sourced would help. Please consider it. With all I am doing to improve my own sustainability practices, I pay attention to how far my food travels. Transportation generally adds to pollution and reduces freshness. Your cartons list a company based in New Hampshire, I live in Salem Oregon. I sure hope the eggs I've buying come from somewhere closer than the East Coast. Thanks! peg
Hello again, Peg! This is another great question. Right now, our farms are all located along the East Coast, so although they make it to grocery stores on the other side of country within just a week or so of being laid, they do make quite the journey. To alleviate travel time, costs, and environmental impact, we have plans to partner with a more widespread network of farms that follow the practices of regenerative agriculture in the very near future.
The package caught my eye; the eggs brought me back for more. But what about the chickens' feed? Any plans to go organic?
Glad we caught your eye, Stuart. Our hens' supplemental feed is not certified organic, and therefore, our eggs are not certified organic. Organic certification isn’t something we’re actively pursuing, but it’s certainly something we’ll remain open to for the future. It's helpful to know that this is something you'd like to see from us!
You said that the eggs are not certified organic and that the feed is not organic. Is the feed at least non-GMO? Thank you.
Hi Nancy, Since our feed isn't certified organic, we unfortunately cannot guarantee that the feed is non-GMO. We purchase feed from responsible sources, but legally we cannot guarantee the exclusion of GMOs. We are happy to answer any follow-up questions you may have.
What is the cost of your egg cartons and are they created from recycled cardboard?
Hi there Patricia! We're proud to say that our egg cartons are made from 30% post-consumer FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified materials and printed with inks derived from soy, a bio renewable ink source. As for the cost per carton, it's usually about $6.99, though that price can slighty vary depending on the store. Let us know if you have any other questions for us!
Please recomsider your packaging. The eggs are difficult to extract from thejr slots with arthritic hands. The box itself is bigger than a conventional egg carton, meaning I can no longer store it in the door of my refrigerator. I buy only pastured eggs and Consider is one of two brands available at my local supermarket. I will need to opt for the other brand because of your unwieldy packaging.
Hi Eden, We are so sorry to hear this! We regret that you have had such an unfortunate experience with our packaging. We'll be happy to pass this feedback along and look into how we could possibly improve our packaging. Please accept our sincerest apologies and let us know if there's anything else we could do to help. We'd love to hear from you sometime at hello@considerpastures.com, and let us know if you have any other concerns/questions.
Thanks for the interesting history!
Hello, I read your answer to the question about GMOs, and that you can't guarantee that the are free of GMOs, but what about soy? I have been purchasing eggs from a local farm that are GMO, and Soy free, and that is Very important to me, but sometimes they are sold out, and it would be nice if I had a brand I could trust in the supermarket. Thank you, Karen Joines
Hi Karen, Our hens are pasture-raised, so they get most of their nutrients from plants and insects that they find in the grass. We make sure they’re getting the right amount of nutrients by providing a supplemental feed that includes soybeans, corn, and plenty of greens. Let us know if you have any follow-up questions!
I have been buying your eggs since I first saw them at Whole Foods, probably 2 months now. Eggs are very good but my favorite thing is your carton which I think is great. I have 2 empty ones stored in the event I need to transfer other eggs to your carton. Big problem----I have a difficult time discarding them.
Hi Kathryn, thank you for taking the time to reach out to us. We're happy to hear that you are enjoying our eggs, but are sad to hear that you're having trouble recycling them. We'd love to get a bit more information from you if you wouldn't mind sending us a message to: hello@considerpastures.com Thank you.
The egg carton is pretty, very sturdy and takes up a slightly smaller space in the refrigerator, also easier egg removal. Like it a lot. The eggs were the best tasting and we hope that our store (Publix) will continue to carry this wonderful product!
These eggs just showed yp in the local grocery and the first package I bought was full paperboard but this newest one had a bottom that was the pressed pulp of typical eggs. Did you guys change packaging or is something shady going on?... thanks:)
Hi Mia, We're happy to provide some additional details surrounding our switch to a more "conventional" egg carton. Because of its unique nature, our original egg carton design had to be constructed by hand. You can imagine the amount of hours and labor that such a task requires - and while we're incredibly fortunate to have grown our distribution in the past year, this setup was a major barrier to meeting demand, keeping costs down for our consumers, and bringing our eggs to folks like you all over the country. We chose to transition to a paper pulp carton (which is still 100% recyclable) for these reasons.