Business Notes Packaging

Few packages are more distinctive than the cardboard-wrapped plastic egg that has carried L'eggs panty hose for more than two decades. The catchy container and wide availability at drugstores and supermarkets helped make the super- stretchy, reasonably priced product the world's best-selling hosiery. But L'eggs, a division of Sara Lee, has decided to dump its plastic egg and switch to an all-cardboard package. One reason for the change is to reduce waste. While the L'eggs plastic egg is recyclable and is often used by customers for arts-and-crafts projects, the new box uses 38% less material and is made from recycled paper. Moreover, about a third more of the new containers can fit into a given store-display space. Still, a shell of the former image remains. The new box is tapered at the top, just like the old egg.