When confronted with the term of egg-based products, one is unlikely to think of the animal by-product as the constituent material. However, German designer Basse Stittgen challenges this through a project that brings up the issue of food waste. Playfully dubbed 'How Do You Like Your Eggs?,' the designer utilized out-of-date eggs to exhibit their "extraordinary materiality" and flexibility.
The range of egg-based products includes "golden-hued bioplastic egg cups and saucers." The silhouettes of the tableware are accented through the playful spatters from the broken shells, adding a unique aesthetic to the sustainable creations.
The materials for Basse Stittgen's collection are sourced from local bakeries. He dehydrates and grounds the egg whites, while the shells are crushed. Afterward, the mixture of the two is heat-pressed at 200 degrees in an aluminum mold.
Egg-Made Tableware
Basse Stittgen Advocates Against Food Waste with a Range of Egg-Based Products
Trend Themes
1. Sustainable Tableware - The use of food waste, such as out-of-date eggs, as materials for tableware could disrupt the conventional production of non-biodegradable kitchenware.
2. Bioplastic - The development of golden-hued bioplastic from egg whites and shells can disrupt the use of petroleum-based plastics in various industries.
3. Circular Economy - The utilization of bakery waste for the production of egg-based products promotes the idea of a circular economy, creating new value from previously discarded materials.
Industry Implications
1. Kitchenware - The use of egg-based bioplastic in kitchenware production could disrupt the market for non-recyclable plastic cutlery and utensils.
2. Food Packaging - Biodegradable and compostable egg-based bioplastic has the potential to replace harmful petroleum-based packaging materials in the food industry.
3. Material Science - Research into novel ways of repurposing food waste into sustainable and versatile bioplastics can create opportunities for disruptive innovation in material science.