UK retailer Waitrose has expanded egg boxes made from rye grass and recycled paper to more products as part of its sustainable packaging efforts.

Since 2015, the retailer has been using egg boxes to protect Duchy range.

Waitrose is also rye grass egg boxes for the protection of British Blacktail eggs, which are exclusive to the retailer. Waitrose’ egg packaging also features widely recycled logo.

Waitrose said that egg boxes made out of rye grass and recycled paper will be extended to more eggs.

The new packaging protects contents similar to the traditional egg box, but uses 60% less water during production and releases 20% less carbon dioxide. It also uses 20% less electricity compared against standard pulp egg box.

Waitrose produces traditional egg boxes by using 100% recycled paper. It will produce rye grass egg boxes by using 50% ryegrass and 50% recycled paper, which can be recycled similar to the traditional egg box.

Waitrose responsible sourcing and sustainability head Tor Harris said: “Rye grass has proved a cracking alternative to traditional cardboard egg boxes and it’s great that more eggs will be packaged in this way.

“This is a positive move to boost the sustainability of our packaging and help the environment.

In January this year, UK retailer Waitrose announced plans to ban the use of black plastic packaging by 2019, in a bid to reduce the use of plastics.

The company has already eliminated 65% of black plastic from its fruit and vegetable packaging.

Waitrose is planning to drop the use of black plastic for meat, fish, fruit and vegetables by the end of 2018.

Black plastic used for food such as ready meals and puddings cannot be recycled as lasers used by waste processors are unable to sense the color effectively.

Waitrose is also not selling any product containing microbeads from September 2016.


Image: Waitrose is using rye grass in Duchy egg boxes. Photo: courtesy of Waitrose.