Egg cartons can be added to the list of surprising things that are in demand across the city that you're probably unintentionally hoarding or mindlessly throwing away.

While some have reused food containers to package meals for those in need, and others have requested used plastic bags to use at their charity shop, there are food provisioning programs across the city that are in desperate need of egg cartons.

An impressive egg carton collection dating to before the pandemic. Will return to a local egg farmer once this is over. pic.twitter.com/ZcK5pWbSIv

— Resist!! Stop the Madness! (@RistoJK66) May 17, 2021

Each week, volunteer-run Bluffs Food Bank receives many flats of eggs, and volunteers carefully count them, sort through donations of egg cartons to make sure there are enough dozen and half-dozen cartons for their clients, and then move over a thousand eggs from the flats to the cartons.

The bank is able to buy products like eggs, meat and produce at wholesale prices using donations. Since posting about their need for egg cartons on social media, BFB actually has a surplus they're storing, and needs the cash donations to buy eggs more than extra cartons.

Unfortunately, not every food provisioning program is so lucky with social media, and places like Grant African Methodist Episcopal Church are still need of egg cartons for their soup kitchen and food bank program.

Grant AME Church food bank director Loy Pinnock-Brown tells blogTO that they go through about 70 dozen eggs a week and are in need of empty egg cartons.

East End United is also looking for donations of egg cartons. They take food bank donations on Monday mornings and Tuesday afternoons, and the bank's greatest need aside from non-perishable food items is egg cartons (and clean, reusable shopping bags).

Next time you've got a stash of egg cartons you're just going to throw in the recycling, consider donating them to programs in need first. Just check in to make sure your donation is going to the place where it's needed most at the time.