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; its shell. ‘Eggshell Ceramic’ is a circular material derived from this industry to show new possibilities with this material.

Laura van de Wijdeven beautiful objects show that we can also use the material one more time before it is given back to nature. She developed a biodegradable but strong material out of 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 still can be used for agriculture. The discarded eggshells are coming from a Dutch chicken company that sells its eggs to supermarkets. A part of those eggs are broken in the process from egg to packaging, which provide waste and useless material for them. 

Currently Laura is working on further product development of the material and its recycling process. As a designer she is inspired by nature and the effect nature has on human. She tries to connect people to nature in different kind of ways. With her project ‘Eggshell Ceramic’ she shows the possibilities of a food waste we all know, all over the world and tells the story of this material and all its beautiful benefits.