Incredible, Edible Eggs

Egypt is often eco-friendly when it comes to delivering plastic-free eggs

by Bernadette Simpson

I love eggs — scrambled, fried, in a quiche — and I use many in baking waffles, cookies, cakes, muffins and more. Needless to say, I buy a lot of eggs! So you may be wondering what those eggs are doing in a plastic bag. Well, it is the SAME plastic bag I have been REUSING to buy my eggs in for the last few years.

We are lucky here in Dahab. Eggs arrive here in our supermarkets plastic-free! Most are delivered to the supermarkets simply on stacks of cardboard cartons. But then the supermarkets offer us small plastic bags for purchasing and transporting the eggs. This doesn't protect the eggs as much as a cardboard or plastic container would and I'm sure we've all ended up with cracked or broken eggs in the process of getting them home from the supermarket. We need to take extra care to get our eggs home in one piece. This usually means carrying them separately or carefully placing the bag of eggs on top of the other items in your cotton bag. Since customers are expected to bag their own eggs, it is easy to REFUSE the plastic bags provided and use your own, whether that's a cotton bag or a plastic bag that you are REUSING. If you would prefer more protection, bring your own reusable container with a lid.

[caption id="attachment_17580" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photo by Bernadette Simpson[/caption]

NOTE: Eggs are available in plastic containers and while this may seem more convenient to carry your eggs in, it is not a sustainable practice for our environment. REFUSE to buy eggs packaged in plastic. Some eggs are available in cardboard containers, which is a better option than plastic so buy those if you've forgotten your own bag or container.

TIP: Bring a reusable container or cotton bag to carry eggs in. Don't worry about the size of the bag. If all you have is a large cotton bag, use it. Just tie the bag in a knot at the top so the eggs are snug and don't roll around.

TIP: Reuse the same plastic bag each time you purchase eggs. Give the bags a rinse if necessary and put them right back in your cotton bag. That way you'll always have a small plastic bag to REUSE for eggs whenever you are at the supermarket.

TIP: If you are buying enough eggs and the cardboard carton at the shop is almost empty, you can take the tray to carry your eggs!

Refuse ~ Reduce ~ Reuse ~ Recycle

Bernadette Simpson is the author of the field guide Wandering through Wadis: A nature-lover’s guide to the flora of South Sinai and An ABC Escapade through Egypt. To learn more about her campaign to reduce disposable plastic, visit:

Don't Mess with Dahab

Wordpress Blog: http://dontmesswithdahab.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dont-Mess-with-Dahab/548828135199063

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DontMessDahab