‘Cluckin’ Great’ Egg Carton Redesign

Vital Farms increases the sustainability of its shell-egg packaging, with a new carton that uses 100% recycled content for both the molded pulp base and the paperboard lid.

The new 100% recycled-content lid now had a longer front flap, providing more billboard space.
The new 100% recycled-content lid now had a longer front flap, providing more billboard space.

Sustainably speaking, egg cartons have come a long way since the days of expanded polystyrene. And, with a new design from Denmark-based Hartmann Technology for Vital Farms’ 12-ct, pasture-raised shell eggs, they’ve come even further. Building off a design that was already an eco-friendly and aesthetic step above the molded pulp carton, the new egg packaging combines a molded-pulp base with a carbon-neutral, recycled-content SBS (Solid Bleached Sulfate) lid that is 100% recyclable and provides exceptional shelf presence.

Before the redesign, Vital Farms was using Hartmann’s recyclable Hybrid egg package. The stock carton has a traditional molded-fiber base made from 100% recycled paper and a lid made from SBB (Solid Bleached Board), a virgin fiber paperboard that is 100% recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable.

“However, they [Vital Farms] now wanted to raise their stake in the ethical market,” says Hartmann. “So in August 2019, we set to work to produce a customized carton made from 100% recycled material.”


Read article   Read this story on the innovative technology used for Vital Farms' new Egg Bites product.


Shares Vital Farms Senior Brand Manager Heather Fitzpatrick, “We’re always seeking ways to raise the standards in anything we’re doing, while prioritizing the needs of our valued stakeholders. Our decision to update our Hybrid carton was a natural next step of our continuous efforts to prioritize the environment as a stakeholder and raise the standards for ourselves and the category.”

The new carton took 14 months to engineer. “We wanted to ensure we were thoughtfully hitting all the requirements from the key stakeholders of the project and doing it the right way, not just the quickest way,” says Fitzpatrick. “We collaborated with Hartmann on research and development and then had significant testing to ensure the carton met everyone’s needs throughout the entire supply chain, including our Egg Central Station crewmembers who help pack cartons, our retail and grocery customers, and consumers. Several quality tests were crucial to ensure the new lid material did not compromise the carton functionality and protection. One of the biggest challenges was integrating the darker colors of the CRB [coated recycled board] fibers to ensure the brand colors were not compromised.”

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