This Singapore designer turns discarded eggshells from a carrot cake hawker into homeware

Singaporean designer Eden Loh repurposes discarded eggshells into homeware items such as planters, decorative plates, and egg trays. Loh collects the shells from Carrot Cubes, a carrot cake hawker stall, and transforms them into a composite material. Each product requires around 35 to 40 eggs for a planter and 5 to 10 eggs for a small trinket tray.

The process involves washing, drying (by baking or in the sun), grinding into powder, and molding followed by post-processing. It takes approximately 4 days from collection to final product, with a batch of 6 to 8 items possible at a time. Loh's inspiration came from observing how other designers repurpose waste materials. He sourced the eggshells initially from his own household, but later approached the hawker stall after realizing it would provide a more consistent supply.

The hawker stall, Carrot Cubes, runs by Ng Kwee Boon and Claire Huang, who is happy to donate the eggshells as they see the potential in Loh's project. Loh, an illustrator, sees this project as a learning experience and aims to expand it by collecting eggshells from more stalls and central kitchens.