The NZIIC has provided AVGO Biotech with support from our Circular Economy team of industry and academic experts who investigated novel methods of eggshell separation.
Every year, tens of millions tonnes of precious natural resources are used for the creation of calcium carbonate. The mining and importation of this material has a large carbon footprint associated with it, meaning current methods of collecting calcium carbonate have poor environmental credentials.
Fortunately, calcium carbonate can also be found in waste products such as eggshells. And there’s an abundance of them, with more than 250,000 tonnes of eggshells being produced in Europe annually.
The NZIIC has provided AVGO Biotech with support from our Circular Economy team of industry and academic experts who investigated novel methods of eggshell separation. This process involved separating the shell and membrane, purifying the shell in the making.
As a result, the process resulted in the creation of a pharmaceutical grade calcium carbonate which can be used in products such as dietary supplements, or antacids which are used to relieve symptoms of heartburn and indigestion. Using a product like eggshells, which would have previously gone to landfill can directly reduce 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted annually, and also reduce the need to destroy natural habitats in the quest of mining natural resources such as limescale and chalk to extract calcium carbonate.
*The Net Zero project is receiving up to £8.85m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.
