March 30, 2023
GEX eggshell bio-calcium is a game-changer for companies and brands who either need to meet plastic reduction mandates, or who need to meet their own strict sustainability policies. Before we go into how wonderful this product is, you should first understand how we got to this point.
Our journey in plastics began in 1987 when, as Don Jia Poly Plastic, we endeavored to become a trusted and innovative manufacturer of plastic products. Our commitment to quality and sound business practice was well received, and our growth saw us expand our manufacturing capabilities to Mainland China, where we opened new plants in Guangdong and Jiangsu.
A few years later, we saw new opportunities and also developed new corporate values. While proud of our accomplishments, we also saw the world changing its relationship to plastic. Instead of maintaining our current and profitable business model, we decided to follow our innovative corporate nature and attempt to lead the industry in a new direction. We strove to be leaders in working toward a sustainable plastic ecosystem.
By 2009, we had already pioneered the use of PLA and other bio-plastics, ultimately establishing Listen Green Technology as our sustainable plastic business. The more we worked with this material, however, the more we knew that we could do better. Guided by our team of engineers and scientists, we decided that our top priority should be to keep as much plastic as possible out of the landfills and oceans, where it does the most harm. PLA was not the solution we had hoped it would be.
At first, we were excited by this PLA’s ability to biodegrade, but the more we studied it, the more it didn’t seem like the solution we wanted to promote. For starters, this corn-based plastic is expensive, and as the price of corn fluctuates, so will the price of PLA. Bio-plastic is also difficult for the average consumer to tell apart from petroleum-based plastic, so much of it will end up in the recycling bin. This is not ideal as PLA plastics cannot be recycled. Instead, they need to be composted under specific conditions involving nitrates, moisture, and other factors. If consumers do not compost and simply throw PLA away, it will just end up in a landfill alongside the other plastics for 1000s of years, as landfills do not meet the composting conditions.
Also, while certainly a much better material for single-use plastics like straws and shopping bags, PLA (as well as PHA) was not mature enough or a viable solution for the mass production of rigid plastics churning out jars and bottles for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, trays and components for the packaging industry, larger pieces for the construction and transportation industries, all among many other categories of plastic product. As a company, then, we veered toward how best to have an impact on the plastic crisis. Before ultimately winding up at eggshells, we took a path through calcium carbonate.
Calcium Carbonate
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is a ubiquitous additive in the plastics industry. It can be added to plastic bags to make them easier to open, and it can be added to any other plastic product to add strength or even to reduce cost. There are some issues with it, however. Even though it can reduce plastic, it unfortunately is not eco-friendly. CaCO3 is a mined material with a hefty carbon footprint. Manufacturers, then, cannot say that they are being green by using it to reduce plastic content.
Another problem is that it is not compatible with all plastics, and it doesn’t bind well with others, making the end product quality quite poor. Manufacturers also don’t care for the additive as, being a hard mineral, it can tear up their expensive machines.
Our scientists saw potential in this material, though, and we invested in developing a bio-calcium from sustainable resources that could both reduce plastic and lower carbon emissions. We ultimately developed GMX, a bio calcium sourced from oyster shells. When added to plastic, the particles (being a bio form) had many more facings than CaCO3 for binding with the plastic polymers, making a superior product – so much so that it could reduce plastic content by up to 50%. Bio-calcium could also work with most types of plastic, and as an amazing bonus, products made from it showed antibacterial and FIR properties. Most importantly, being sourced from a sustainable resource, it offered a serious reduction in carbon emissions. The only problems that remained were that the material was still quite tough on machines, and that the oyster supply in the world was varied in terms of type and quality, so making a standard product and process was difficult.
That is when our team turned to chickens. Or rather their eggs…
Bio-calcium sourced from chicken eggs (or other poultry) is turned into a plastic-reduction wonder material through our patented process. Coming from eggs, the particles are even smaller (making better products) and softer (not harming machines) than from oyster shells. The material can still reduce plastic by up to 50%, still produce antibacterial end products, and it can be used with recycled plastics to make 100% virgin plastic-free products that are also much lower in total plastic. When used with recycled plastic, it can reduce carbon emission by nearly 70% compared to virgin plastics.
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. This means it can be used by companies to make greener packaging, and they can receive eco-certification as well. It can also be used to help companies easily and quickly meet plastic-reduction mandates, something calcium carbonate cannot do. It is easy for manufacturers to work with, and they can cut a quick 25-50% off of their plastic use without having to redesign a bottle or tray, reduce the size of their packaging, or find a brand new material. They simply need to mix GEX into their compound to immediately reduce their plastic use and shrink their carbon footprint.
Game-changing Applications
GEX eggshell bio-calcium is the solution we perfected and patented, and it helps us take the industry toward a more circular plastic economy, which is the approach to the plastic crisis that we championed – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Here are just some of the solutions that we have seen made possible:
- Pharmaceutical bottles made from 30% GEX + 70% rHDPE (receiving commendation from the UN for plastic reduction along their SDGs)
- Cosmetic jars and tubes made from 30% GEX and 70%PP (and 70% rPP)
- Foam mats and gym flooring that are 40% less plastic, cheaper, and anti-bacterial
- Trays and industrial packaging with 50% GEX
- Bags (for DELL) made form 30% GEX and 70% recycled plastic.
- GEX + PLA for reduced plastic and biodegradable straws, utensils, etc.
- Industrial buckets, bins, and barriers with a 30% plastic reduction.
- Pallets made of recycled plastic and GEX that pass stringent strength tests.
- And lots more…
Our plastic journey has taken us to this point, and now, whether you need to meet a government mandate and take a quick and easy 25% off your plastic use, or if you are a company that wants to have the greenest possible plastic to align with your company’s goals, we humbly offer you an eggshell… and the patented, certified process that turns it into a game-changing material.
Tags: eggshell, GEX