The plastic keeps the humidity in. Those lids are no where near tight enough too keep the humidity needed for the whole incubation process..
Think of it this way incubation is requires to separate but equal parts,
1: the incubator whose sole job is heat (producing even heat, maintaining even steady heat) that its only job
2: the egg box whose sole job is humidity (producing even humidity, maintaining even steady humidity)
Put those two things together and you can incubate anything.. How ever if one isn't doing its job.. you get in trouble