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I hadn't really thought about this much until I read an article on Mother Nature Network about organic egg packaging, but I was disgusted after I realized the amount of packaging that often comes with organic eggs. Instead of the traditional cardboard egg cartons, many organic alternatives come in two layers of plastic packaging. There's no purpose for all that extra packaging; it's just marketing.
According to Big Money, the plastic packaging and the extra plastic flap on organic and cage free eggs are unnecessary. "It's because consumers like it better, or at least marketers think consumers like it better. When the USDA created an organic seal in 2002, organics became a luxury item and luxury items need to be convenient. It's much more convenient to look through plastic to make sure your eggs are in good condition than to actually open a carton in the store."
To be fair, Styrofoam and paper packaging are not much better. Not only is the petroleum-based packaging nonbiodegradable and difficult to recycle, it also contains toxic chemicals that, at certain exposure levels, can cause nervous-system effects such as depression, loss of concentration, weakness, fatigue, and nausea, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
