Before You Toss Another Egg Carton, Try Using Them in Your Garden

Don't throw away your egg cartons after they're empty. Instead, consider using them in your garden, where they have many applications. Paper pulp egg cartons, which are made from a mixture of water and paper, can be used for everything from a mulch layer to makeshift seed starters. (Avoid using foam egg cartons, as they are toxic to the environment and shouldn’t be used in the garden.) Ahead, our experts share all the ways you can use egg cartons for a thriving garden. 

Plant Protector

Egg cartons can be used to safeguard plants from unwanted garden guests, says master gardener Tammy Sons. Place the bottom side of the carton face up in the soil next to plants that require protection. Bugs like snails and slugs will conceal themselves under the carton to evade predators or find a cozy spot to hunker down in at night. Come morning, lift the egg cartons, and you will likely find insects, which you can then relocate away from your plants. “This pest control method provides a simple solution that avoids chemical use,” Sons says.

Garden Mulch

Instead of buying mulch, consider using leftover egg cartons. Because paper pulp egg cartons are made of water and paper, they can break down easily in the garden. “Tear used cartons into pieces to create mulch that breaks down slowly for your garden beds,” says Sons. By using the material as mulch, garden beds receive small quantities of organic material from the decomposing carton pieces, which also help to maintain moisture levels, she adds.

Seed Starters

Start vegetable or flower seeds indoors in leftover egg cartons instead of plastic trays, recommends Kathi Rodgers, a gardener and founder of Oak Hill Homestead. “The little egg cups will hold just enough seed-starting mix for a couple of seeds,” she explains. Plant each according to the depth recommended on its respective seed packet and keep the soil moist but not soggy—too much water, and the paper pulp material will break down. “Using a spray bottle will help to keep the soil moist without disturbing the seeds or seedlings.”

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Garden Row Markers

Since paper pulp egg cartons are biodegradable, you don’t have to worry about them breaking down into microplastics, unlike what could happen with plastic row markers. Sons says egg cartons work as easy and fun garden row markers and can even be decorated with nontoxic crayons. Cut your leftover egg cartons into strips, label each strip, and place them in the ground next to their corresponding plant. 

Compost Material

Egg cartons can also be added to your compost pile to boost its carbon content. “Tear them into smaller pieces and bury them in your compost for the fastest decomposition,” Rodgers advises. “Cardboard egg cartons are a 'brown' compost ingredient, in other words, a source of carbon.”