The Iconic Egg Carton May Get a New Look

Egg carton.

When you see these words, you instantly know what this package looks like and what it does. For more than 100 years, the humble egg carton has protected one of the food industry’s most breakable products.

Invented in 1911 by Canadian Joseph Coyle to settle a dispute between a farmer and a hotel owner over broken eggs, the egg carton is beautiful in its simplicity.

Crafted from paper, foam, or plastic, the individual cups protect the eggs from breakage and moisture loss. The design has not really been updated since the 1950s, when H.G. Bennett introduced the paper-pulp material that is so familiar today.

However, a Hungarian design student named Eva Valicsek has created a new twist on the old favorite. Sticking with reusable and recyclable paperboard material, her concept eliminates the cup shapes in favor of a flexible, flat frame that gently adapts to the size and shape of each egg.

Valicsek says her box is as sturdy and protective as the old design, but improves on it by further eliminating jostling and allowing consumers to see the eggs without opening the box.

Perhaps even the most perfect package designs can be improved!

Source: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130319-updating-the-humble-eggbox-design