Project Overview
During this project, Sparks Eggs endeavoured to divert inedible egg waste from landfills and create a value-added product. Funded through ERA’s Circular Economy call in 2022, the project successfully implemented a novel dehydrator to create a dry powder, high in protein and nutrients that can be used in pet food and animal feed.
Converting Egg Waste into Animal Feed
The Canadian egg industry traditionally uses a spray dryer technology to process liquid eggs. However, Sparks selected the GAIA GC2000 dehydrator from ReDU Waste Ltd. to process whole shelled egg, unshelled egg, and eggshells. The GAIA GC2000 utilizes thermal drying technology to convert organic waste into a stabilized dry material. This technology has several advantages over the traditional spray dryer, making it an innovative option for egg dehydration. Compared to spray dryers, the GAIA GC2000 is more cost-effective, simpler to implement and can process both whole eggs and eggshells, either together or separately, which reduces the need for pre-processing equipment. Additionally, the GAIA GC2000 produces fewer emissions because it allows waste to be processed directly on-site, reducing the need for external transportation and the related emissions.
Optimizing Designs to Ensure Quality Performance and Product
During the early stages of the project, Sparks encountered several challenges, generating optimizations and lessons learned. Notably, the project also validated valuable business and commercialization insights. Through initial partnership discussions with pet food manufacturers and feed producers, Sparks confirmed a market demand for high-protein egg powder but also found that variations in moisture content and protein-to-shell ratios impacted the product’s marketability. Additionally, the GAIA GC2000 encountered challenges when processing inedible eggs due to their high viscosity and abrasive shell content, resulting in mechanical failures and inconsistent product quality. While the issue was resolved, this challenge highlighted the need for tailored equipment modifications and comprehensive testing with real material samples during the development phase to identify potential mechanical limitations early on.
After implementing several optimizations, the project successfully transformed inedible egg waste from a landfill-bound liability to a high-protein, value-added product for pet and animal feed applications. Sparks diverted 263 tonnes of waste from landfills during the project, and the future projected annual diversion of waste is 500 tonnes. Additionally, transportation costs were reduced by about $30,000 during the project, and estimated annual savings are $105,000. Sparks also concluded that the emissions reduction from this project will be approximately 120 tonnes every year.
What’s next?
Since the project’s completion in 2024, Sparks has continued to optimize and improve its production process to ensure long-term success. Building on the achievements from this project, Sparks aims to enhance system efficiency, refine the product quality and expand the reach of their product. One of the next primary steps for Sparks is to collaborate on design and implement a customized cleaning system for efficiency and to meet stringent food safety standards. Another key step involves refining the dried egg powder to ensure that it meets both industry standards and market demands. Beyond this, Sparks is exploring additional uses for its byproducts to ensure all parts of the egg are repurposed to their highest potential.