‘You can’t solve the plastic pollution problem without breaking a few eggs’. This is quite literally the approach of Taiwan-based sustainability solutions provider Spark Sourcing. The company has developed Gex, sold under the brand eco-shell, a bio-calcium carbonate sourced from eggshells that can purportedly reduce virgin plastic content by up to 50% when used as an additive in plastics manufacturing.
Founded in 2018, the company first explored biodegradable plastics like PLA and PHA as more sustainable alternative to virgin plastics, but was put off by high resin prices, lack of consumer awareness about the biodegradability process, or lack of scale. Instead, the company found a way to make calcium carbonate (CaCO3), a common additive in the plastics industry, more sustainable. Enter eggs, from chicken or other poultry.
“Traditional CaCO3 is a mined product that does not come from a sustainable source,” Andrew Bliss, business development manager at Spark Sourcing told Sustainable Plastics. “In fact, there are concerns related to limestone mining’s effect on groundwater contamination, disruption of ground stability, harm of biodiversity, the use too much fossil fuel energy in its acquisition and production, and its dust related health concerns.”
“In contrast, eco-shell is not only sustainable, but it cleans up an agricultural and food production waste product in the process,” Bliss continued. Spark Sourcing converts the eggshells into a powder that is then pelletised for use in plastic compounds in a multi-step, patented process. When added to plastic, the material adds strength allowing for a reduction of virgin plastic content by up to 50%. If used with recycled plastics, the use of virgin plastics can purportedly be completely eliminated.
Being widely available and reasonably uniform, Spark Sourcing says the bio-product is a better alternative to other bio-calcium sources, like oyster shells. It is also much softer in nature than oyster shells, and therefore reportedly less likely to cause expensive harm to plastic manufacturing equipment.
Eco-shell is already being used in pharmaceutical bottles made from 30% Gex and 70% rHDPE. Other applications include cosmetic jars, foam mats, trays and industrial packaging, pallets, and combinations with PLA in biodegradable straws, amongst others.
GEX eggshell bio-calcium is patented in the USA, UK, Australia, China, and Taiwan, and it has been certified by SGS as a carbon and plastic reducer.