Eggshell

Eggshell Ceramic

10 billion eggs a year are produced in the Netherlands, which makes the country the largest egg exporter in the world. An egg produces a valuable material which is often seen as waste; the shell. Luckily not all 10 billion eggshells are wasted, it’s often used as a soil improver in agriculture.

‘Eggshell Ceramic’ is a circular material derived from this industry to present new possibilities with this material. This project shows that we can also use the material one more time before it is given back to nature. Atelier LVDW developed a biodegradable but strong material out of the eggshells which can be a sustainable replacement for single-use products. The material has the look of ceramics but the weight of cardboard, which makes it a versatile material. At the end of its life, it can still be used for agriculture.

The discarded eggshells originate from a Dutch chicken company that sells its eggs to supermarkets. Many of those eggs are broken in the journey from hen to supermarket, which creates waste.

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.