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; his shell. Luckily not all 10 billion eggshells are wasted, it’s often used as soil improver in agriculture. ‘Eggshell Ceramic’ is a circular material derived from this industry to show 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 project creates an extra “dot” in this materials lifecycle.
The discarded eggshells are coming from a Dutch chicken company that sells its eggs to supermarkets. Many of those eggs are broken in the process from egg to packaging, which provide waste and useless material for them.
Ingredient list
Eggshells, water, natural gum.
Maker
References
EggShell Ceramic - Atelier LVDW (Video)
5 Designers on Our Radar From the Upcoming Isola Design District Exhibitions (Article)
MaDe Finalist (Article)
Credits
Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, Matter, Elisava and Politecnico
Photo credits
Laura van de Wijdeven