RecEgg

This project aims to address 2 industrial problems:

1) Over 250,000 tonnes of eggshells are produced across Europe, annually, by the egg processing industry. This waste is hazardous, due to the decomposition of biological materials carried over from processing. Companies contract specialist waste management companies to remove / treat this waste at great expense, **\> £100/tonne, \> £85m across Europe.** Impacting the industry's bottom line and making them less resistant to external threats from global imports and events such as COVID-19\. Additionally, landfill has a **significant carbon footprint, producing over 2 M tonnes of Carbon Dioxide,** across Europe, annually.

2) Eggshells offer the untapped natural resource of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which could be used in high value markets, such as Pharmaceutical/Medical/Food. **The Pharmaceutical industry, in Europe, uses over 100,000 tonnes / year, worth \>£200m (£800m globally).** Currently material is imported from Asia and leads to a number of issues:

a) Environmental unsustainable, **through mining and transportation great distances (carbon-miles) (77 K tonnes CO2**), when local and sustainable material is available,

b) Quality / Consistency of mined material is variable. Containing **TOXIC HEAVY METALS**, experiencing rejection rates as high as 20%. Costing the European Pharmaceutical industry **\>£40m/year**

3) Eggshells offer an untapped resource of **CaCO3**, which could be used in a plethora of applications, in addition to the pharmaceutical industry. Avgo will convert this resource into high quality/value material for the Pharmaceutical/Medical/Food.

4) Many attempts have been made to exploit the resources held within eggshells, they have not been able to manufacture materials that meet Pharmaceutical/Food/TOXIC HEAVY METAL requirements. Within this project we will show that this can be done, through a series of proof of principle experiments, covering the full process, converting eggshell waste into Pharmaceutical grade CaCO3, on a commercial scale and demonstrating complete circularity through the re-use of process co-products.

**5)** **Avgo will build on previous work, which we had planned to take place earlier in the year but which was delayed due to a lack of access to funds because of COVID-19\.**

**6)** **We are taking a disruptive combination of new chemical/engineering processes will allow us to achieve this.**

These approaches will be taken in the collect, moving and separating of eggshells and membranes. Allowing, Avgo to valorise both the membrane and shell, which will be treated to a number of novel processes. Producing high grade CaCO3 -- with ultimate co-products being re-introduced into the process. Providing complete circularity. This project will demonstrate all the technologies as yet unproven in this application.

7) RECEGG is an **"eggshell factory" producing sustainable, high purity, high quality membrane (\>£12m in 5 years-outside of scope of this project) and pharmaceutical grade** **CaCO3 (\>£20m in 5 years) while offering complete circularity.**

**8)** **Exploitation of egg-processing industry co-products will improve profitability for the UK processors. Providing a buffer against aggressive import activities, help it to grow back strongly from the adverse effects of COVID-19, some processors suffered badly from the contraction in hospitality and provide resilience against any similar events.**