#Reduce #Reuse #Recycle - 1
Represented by Ecoshell (based near Cincinnati, USA), this new patent joins previously granted patents in the USA, Taiwan, Australia, and China. The patent, number GB2596154, recognizes GEX as an eco-friendly material, waste reducer, and manufacturing method that holds the potential to revolutionise plastic manufacturing.
GEX is derived from eggshells, which go through a meticulous multistep process to be transformed into bio-calcium, an ultra-fine powder with particles as small as 1 micron, and then pelletized. Currently, Ecoshell offers a full range of resins and complete compounds for various applications.
The benefits of this new material and numerous. It can reduce plastic up to 50% and carbon up to 70% (compared to virgin plastics), and products made with it are certified to be recyclable (EN 13430). GEX is SGS-certified as an effective waste, carbon, and plastic reducer. Moreover, the product holds FDA, EU RoHS, REACH, antibacterial, and high FIR emissivity certifications, further cementing its eco-credentials.
This versatile material is compatible with a wide range of plastics, including PP, PE, HDPE, EVA, PS, ABS, rubber, PVC, PLA, as well as recycled plastic, ocean-bound plastics, and bioplastics. It is compatible with film blowing, blow molding, injection molding, thermoforming, calendaring, and extrusion. The possible applications of eco-shell™ are vast, spanning various industries and products. Potential applications include:
- Jars and bottles for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, wellness (supplements and powders) and cannabis industries (up to 30% plastic reduction)
- Foam mats and gym flooring that are 40% less plastic, cheaper, and anti-bacterial
- Trays and industrial packaging with 50% GEX
- Bags made form 50% GEX and 50% recycled plastic.
- Industrial buckets, bins, and barriers with a 30% plastic reduction.
- Pallets made of recycled plastic and eco-shell™ that pass stringent strength tests.
With plastic-reduction mandates rapidly approaching and companies' own sustainability goals getting more and more aggressive, the best way to solve our plastic crisis has been an extremely hot topic and an exciting area of innovation. Some espouse the merits of bioplastics, but those have shown to not be a viable option toward reducing plastic. Not only are they extremely expensive, but they cannot be recycled, are difficult to separate out from recyclable plastics for consumers, and they only biodegrade under very specific conditions, meaning the vast majority still end up in our landfills and oceans. Bioplastics, and other alternative materials, are also prohibitively expensive for companies already facing razor thin margins.
In contrast, GEX epitomizes the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle approach to sustainability, offering a real and significant reduction in plastic and carbon, especially when taking into account its end of life. GEX is also an affordable and quick way for companies to meet upcoming plastic reduction mandates, and it can be incorporated seamlessly into current manufacturing, so companies can avoid downtime and costly material and machinery development. Andrew Bliss, founder of Ecoshell, expands:
“Many brands would like to be more sustainable, but simply can’t afford the material change or the downtime. GEX allows them to meet and exceed their sustainability goals, and to do so very affordably and quickly.”
For more information about GEX and its applications, please contact Ecoshell at soultuons@ecoshell.eco or visit their website at https://ecoshell.eco.