Edible Paper Pulp

Ha! Had ya goin' there for a sec, didn't I? I really am going to show you how to eat your paper pulp egg cartons. Well... kind of.

Just as with every other packaging being produced, there is controversy surrounding claims that molded pulp egg cartons have a much lower Life Cycle Assessment than the styrofoam cartons. Some studies claim that post consumer styrofoam egg cartons have a lower ecological footprint than molded pulp due to pulp making practices. It seems that the molded pulp cartons don't degrade much better than the styrofoam does if they are dumped into the land fill, either. (Land fills are supposedly designed to foil the process of degradation in order to protect our ground water.)

So really, what is the responsible consumer to do? Who to believe? At home in Thorne's World, we do our best to find a balance and minimize our ecological footprint through research  and precycling rather than blind consumption, but when faced with a choice that we're just not sure of on a global scale, we try to make the best green decision for our 40 acres and our lifestyle.

Our choice in egg packaging (at least until we get our own chickens- coming soon, I hope!) is molded pulp. The styrofoam egg cartons would just pile up and take up space while I tried to figure out something sustainable to do with them. Seriously. I'm a pretty creative gal, but I've never seen art made from egg cartons that didn't look like an egg carton. Bo-ring!

So we eat ours. In a round about sort of way. I use them to start seeds.

I know, I know. I can hear you now:

"What's cool or unique about that, Thorne? There are at least a hundred sites that tell us to do that!"

Simmer down, ya'll. I'm gonna tell you what's unique about it. I did a search to see if anyone had any decent and practical instruction, and I couldn't find any. Oh, there are plenty of sites that show you fhow to fill the little cells with dirt, but in my experience it's not that simple. I've done it. I've done it and had the soil and egg cartons dry out so badly and fast that it was impossible to get my seeds to germinate. I've also had my seeds germinate, only to have the seedlings wilt and die because the egg cartons didn't biodegrade like they were supposed to when I stuck them in the ground- instead they seemed to petrify!

So what I have for you today, is Thorne's tried and true, fool proof, biodegradable egg carton seed starter instructions.

1) Trim them into manageable sections, (especially if, like me, you use the 5 dozen egg flats)

2) Pre cut the points between the cells to make it easier to pull them apart when your seedlings are ready for planting. Your little seedlings don't care to be jostled around while you're trying to rip the molded cartons (especially since they seem to be so much thicker right where you need to separate them).

3) Poke or snip the bottom a bit, too. The pulp can be thicker here, also which makes it difficult for tender roots to penetrate.

4) If you haven't already done it, sift your starting mixture and moisten it lightly. I sift together about 3 parts potting soil with 1 part composted manure. You can use your own compost, but I find the tiny seeds like a fine medium to get started in, so reworked and sifted potting soil works best for me. When you moisten your soil it should be damp but not sloppy or soupy. It's a bit like cutting butter into flour for pie crust.

5) Arrange your egg cartons in a tray. I'm using saved plastic starter trays. This will be their 4th year in service. When they crack I use a dab of clear silicone to get more use from them. Cookie sheets or shallow pans or trays work well. You want to use something with at least a one inch high rim to hold water and support the egg cartons as they will get soggy.

6) Fill the tray with about an inch of warm water and let the egg catrons rest a few minutes to absorb the water before adding the soil.  I always leave a small section of the tray uncovered so I can easily check the water level in the tray and bottom water without dousing my soil and washing small seeds away.

7) Once the cells are all wet dump off any excess water then add the sifted, moistened soil.  Be sure to leave enough room to cover your seeds to the recommended depth. I usually take a small section of egg carton and tamp the soil down lightly to remove air pockets.

8) Sow your seeds and cover with the appropriate depth of soil.  Bottom water to keep the cells moist.  If the cells get dry, they will draw the water out of your soil, so always keep them moist.

9) When your seedlings are a couple of inches tall, gently tear the cells apart and plant the whole thing.  The roots may already be growing through the pulp, so be careful not to damage them.

The paper pulp actually composts and enriches your soil providing additional nutrients to your plants as they grow.

Okay, so maybe the paper pulp isn't actually edible... But your plants are eating it, and your earthworms will eat it... and if you planted veggies, you'll eat them, sooo...

Tah dah!!!  Edible Paper Pulp! (Like I said: Kind of...)

I'd love to hear all the clever recycling and reusing you do in your garden!  Why not leave me a comment and tell me all about it?

© Terese Hartjoy, 2009