On average, a person in Germany consumes over 200 eggs, according to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food from 2021.
This popularity is not surprising. After all, eggs are not only very healthy because they contain many vitamins, trace elements and a high protein content, but also taste good and can be prepared and varied in many ways.
And not only the egg itself, but also the water used for cooking and even the eggshells can be used in many ways.
Five ways to recycle eggshells
Before using our recycling tricks, you should thoroughly clean the eggshells with water.
1. Nutritional supplements
Egg shells are largely made up of calcium, one of the most important minerals in the human body. It is not only an important component for bones and teeth, but is also significantly involved in the transmission of stimuli in muscles and nerves as well as in blood coagulation processes.
To meet your calcium needs, you can grind the eggshells into a powder and add a pinch to other dishes, such as cereal or pastry batter, if you like.
If you have not pre-cooked the eggshells, such as when making scrambled eggs, you should boil them in water for about 10 minutes or alternatively put them in the oven to kill bacteria and germs before using them again for consumption.
2. Detergent additive
Over time, white laundry often develops yellow stains or takes on a greyish tint. Instead of bleaching store-bought detergents, you can use eggshells to naturally and permanently whiten your clothes.
All you have to do is crush white eggshells and put them in a cloth bag and wash them with the white laundry.
3. Mosquito bite remedy
Especially in spring and summer we are often bitten by mosquitoes despite all precautionary measures. You can use a mixture of eggshells and vinegar to relieve the itching that follows.
To do this, fill a glass one-third full with apple cider vinegar and mix it with some powdered eggshell. Apply this mixture to the mosquito bites.
4. Fertilizers
Due to the minerals contained in the shells, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, eggshells are also suitable as a natural fertilizer for your plants.
For this you have to add the powder from about 2 bowls to one liter of irrigation water or alternatively crush the bowls roughly, scatter them on the ground and then water the plants.
5. Snail protection
Egg shells can be used in the garden not only as fertilizer, but also as protection against snails.
To do this, break up egg shells into larger, coarse pieces and place the splinters in circles around the plants to be protected. The snails avoid the sharp edges of the fragments and stay away from your plants.