The Lakes Free Range Egg Company (The Lakes) went back to school this term, using their egg packaging to help demonstrate the principles of reusing and recycling. Working in partnership with the Penrith Sainsbury’s store, the team paid a visit to Beaconside C of E Primary School to help the nursery pupils recycle egg boxes in an unusual way – filling them with tulip bulbs to plant in their garden.

It was a question from a customer on ‘The Lakes’ website that sparked the idea of demonstrating the fact that their egg packaging is recyclable and kind to the environment. Keen to reveal a wider use for egg boxes, and to prove they really are environmentally friendly, the team contacted Beaconside C of E School to develop a tulip planting project.

The Lakes supplies free range and organic eggs to Sainsbury’s, so a collection of used egg boxes were gathered and a joint team from Sainsbury’s and The Lakes visited the nursery class armed with the boxes and a supply of tulip bulbs.lakes Free Range team and Sainsburys

Helen Brass, joint owner and Company Secretary of The Lakes Free Range Egg Company “We’ve visited Beaconside C of E School in the past to explain how eggs are produced, so it was nice to be able to go back and show the children new ways of reusing old egg boxes. We know our boxes are bio-degradable so the idea of planting them in the ground is a very simple way to demonstrate that too.

It’s always nice to work in conjunction with our customers, so we partnered with the Sainsbury’s Penrith store to help take the project into the school.”

The nursery pupils filled the boxes with bulbs and were eager to plant them in their school garden the following week. Nursery Teacher Miss Sarah Bowers said “It was a really interesting project for us and an exciting one for the children. It helped them develop sorting and counting skills and they learned about reusing and recycling too – it was fun discovering new ways to reuse packaging. The children are really looking forward to seeing the bulbs grow into tulips in the spring.”

Listening to comments from the children, Alison Morton from Sainsbury’s Penrith store said “Considering the young age of these children, they are already very knowledgeable about how to cut waste and the benefits of reusing and recycling. It’s a message we like to promote and we’re keen to work with The Lakes to roll out similar projects in the future.”Children with tulip bulbs

Each pupil had a six pack egg box filled with tulip bulbs. Miss Bowers and her colleagues helped the children plant the bulbs on the next dry day, promising to send pictures to The Lakes in the spring, when the tulips are in full bloom.

bio-degradable egg boxes