By Jim Poulin – Photo Editor, Phoenix Business Journal

If Hickman’s Family Farms has its way, the egg industry will leave Styrofoam and paper-mulch cartons behind in favor of green plastic egg trays.

Transitioning to the plastic trays — made from recycled green plastic soda bottles — prevents millions of bottles from ending up in landfills and allows customers to view the eggs without having to open the lid and touch them.

Hickman’s, a family business since 1944, has been caring for chickens and selling eggs through four generations. It has evolved into the second-largest egg producer in the Western U.S. and is one of the top 10 producers in the country. The company cares for 9 million chickens in Arizona, California and Colorado. They produce about 1.8 billion eggs annually, and Hickman’s distributes the eggs from Wyoming to Hawaii.

The Phoenix Business Journal
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