ABSTRACT
As the concept of Circular Economy takes centre stage in the world of waste management, it has consequently become more evident that environmental sustainability requires conversion of the outputs of a process into inputs of other processes. Circular Economy elevates the principles of reuse, sharing, repair, renovation, remanufacturing, and recycling to create a closed system, curtailing the use of virgin inputs as well as the creation of waste, pollution, and emissions. In a nutshell, all “waste” should become “food” for other processes, or better put, “from waste to best”.
One example of waste with enormous potential are eggshells produced by the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus); these eggshells had an annual production of 7.82 million metric tonnes globally in 2018. This chapter examines the formation, structure, and constituents of the eggshell. It further discusses methods of separation of the eggshell and its membrane as well as the valorization of the shell and membrane. It was concluded that eggshells stand as one of the most recyclable and eco-friendly waste products with applications in bioremediation, agriculture, food processing, health, construction, and renewable energy. A call was also made for the effective collection and reuse of the waste product.
