Food manufacturing and packaging go hand in hand. What may not be so obvious, however, is that the links between the two are about to become a lot more, er, ineggstricable. That’s right, thanks to some pioneering work out of England, we’ve learned that eggs themselves may contain the answers to some of the world’s environmental woes.
Scientists out of the University of Leicester in England are currently investigating the use of disposed eggshells, which currently either end up in landfill or are used in pharmaceuticals to help with cartilage and connective tissue problems. The biodegradable proteins found in the egg shell can be potentially formed into a starch-based plastic very similar to numerous forms of existing materials used in packaging warehouses. Sounds simple, but the outcome could bring great change to the packaging world. Find out more here
As the article explains: The aim of the current project is to adapt the proteins to create a starch-based plastic that could then “bulk up” existing plastics and be molded into anything from shop fitting to supermarket meal trays. The biodegradable composite material is being lined up to make egg boxes, to serve as a practical example of closed-loop recycling.
In the ongoing search to become more socially and environmentally conscious, and in light of this innovative research, it’s worth asking what other cost-effective solutions can we eggstract within our own organizations.
