Shipping Hatching Eggs: What type carton do you use?

[FarmGirl-NC]

For those of you who ship hatching eggs. What type of carton do you think is better paper (paper mache), clear plastic, or styrofoam/polystyrene?

Considerations are:
-strength and flexibility of the carton
-which reduces pressure on the eggs the best
-breathing and moisture loss of the eggs

And do you like cartons with holes in them or no holes?

When you store your eggs before shipping, what type of carton do you store them in?

 

[FarmGirl-NC]

From a recycling, environmental point of view:

"Which is Best: Recyclable Paperboard or Polystyrene Egg Cartons?"

From http://1800recycling.com/2011/03/recyclable-paperboard-polystyrene-egg-carton

"While cardboard packaging deserves brownie points for its 100% recycled paper roots, its properties (which mirror that of lower-quality paper towels) bog down and even break machinery, making nationwide recycling programs incredibly hesitant to accept it. Adding insult to injury, paper-based egg cartons don’t even biodegrade easily in today’s landfills because all of the necessary ingredients — air, moisture and microorganisms — are typically absent.

Paper-based egg cartons give Mother Nature even more of a headache when it comes to the amount of natural resources consumed during the pulping and drying process. Can you believe that Styrofoam versions are actually easier on the environment, using less water, natural gas and electric overall?"

 

[FarmGirl-NC]

"The Affect of Temperature and Storage Time on Weight Loss of Table Eggs"

http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/Avian/PIP39.pdf

"Storage period, temperature, packaging materials, and shell soundness were the key factors affecting the rate of weight loss." (Meaning moisture loss and a larger air cell.)

They used styrofoam egg cartons vs open paper/fiber flats in the experiment. Styrofoam maintained more moisture in the egg.

But what about styrofoam vs closed paper carton?