One of the first waste streams Brendon focused on was eggshells, considered a cost at hatcheries and food processing factories. In Europe alone, there are an estimated 150,000 Tons (T) of eggshells sent each year to landfills at a cost of €50-200 per ton depending on the location. Over half a million tons of eggshells are discarded in China. Since eggshells are a well-known source of pharmaceutical grade calcium carbonate, the key is to separate the membranes from the shell. This originally tedious and costly process is highly simplified by the Vortair machine, transforming this waste into a valuable source of renewable calcium carbonate free of membranes without the need for any moving part or human hand.
One Vortair unit can process 10,000 T of egg waste at an anticipated cost of €6/T, offering a revenue that is a multiple. The high quality calcium carbonate processed without the use of any chemicals and with minimal energy offers a potential revenue of €1,300/T. This breakthrough is likely to create a major shift in the high end calcium carbonate market, evolving from a cost of millions of shredded marble to a revenue potential of hundreds of millions. The Vortair is the only known technology capable of efficient and profitable upcycling of eggshells. The conversion of a waste into a renewable raw material improving the competitiveness of the industry while reducing the need for mining, is one of the priorities of The Blue Economy.
