🥚Ceramic Making with Eggshells

Exploring a Sustainable Future Through Biomaterials

Can you imagine food scraps and other natural materials being transformed into everyday objects, from packaging and clothing to furniture and utensils? This is the world of biomaterials—materials that, beyond fulfilling practical functions, are environmentally friendly and bring us closer to a circular economy.

At Fab Lab Barcelona, we constantly explore how nature’s remnants can be transformed into something new. In this workshop, we will work with eggshells and mussel shells—remnants that might seem like waste but can be ground into powder and used as a base to create ceramics, combined with natural binders to mold and create something unique. This process represents just a small sample of what biomaterials can achieve across multiple industries.

What Are Biomaterials?

Biomaterials are materials derived from natural or renewable sources. This is not a new concept: throughout history, many cultures have relied on natural materials for their daily needs. Ancient Egyptians created papyrus from plants, and various indigenous American cultures crafted tools and objects using clay or natural fibers. Now, with today’s technology, we can innovate and develop new biomaterials from waste and byproducts, helping us reduce our environmental impact.

Real-World Applications of Biomaterials

Biomaterials are already being used across various industries, offering sustainable solutions that replace conventional materials. Here are some examples showcasing their enormous potential:

• Construction: Materials like mycelium (the root structure of fungi) are used in bricks and construction panels, offering insulation and biodegradability. Even rice husk ash is used in concrete and composites.

• Fashion: Pineapple fibers and mushroom leather provide sustainable alternatives to animal leather, reducing ecological footprints. Fashion brands are using mushroom leather and algae-based biodegradable textiles for clothing and accessories.

• Packaging: Bioplastics made from cornstarch and shrimp shells are replacing plastic packaging. These materials are compostable and help reduce plastic waste.

• Medicine: Biomaterials such as biodegradable sutures and artificial tissues assist in medical procedures, minimizing waste and enhancing biocompatibility.

• Product Design: Fibers like coconut or bamboo are used in furniture and kitchen utensils, demonstrating that biomaterials can seamlessly integrate into everyday life.

Innovators at Fab Lab Barcelona

Fab Lab Barcelona has been a pioneer in the development of biomaterials. In addition to the projects mentioned in the "Inspiring Examples in Action" section, here are other interesting projects that have flourished within the academic programs of Fabricademy, an educational initiative that allows students to explore biomaterials in fashion and design, creating innovative and sustainable solutions for the textile industry.

Fluid Fashion: Olivia Cueva is a multidisciplinary artist, creative technologist, and storyteller from Berkeley, California. During her training at Fabricademy Barcelona 2022-23, she developed Fluid Fashion, an innovative project that features a collection of colorful bioplastic garments, naturally dyed and designed to decompose safely into the earth. This project merges sustainable fashion and technology with a circular approach.

Exploring Fashion and New Materials: Annah-Ololade Sangosanya investigates the dynamic relationship between fashion and new materials, where biology, biochemistry, genetic modifications, and industrial processes converge to drive technological advancements in the textile industry. Inspired by projects like FabTextiles Bioplastic Cookbook by Margaret Dunne, this exploration redefines fashion through innovative and sustainable materials, showcasing the potential of science to transform the future of design.

Get Inspired and Experiment

The world of biomaterials allows us to see waste through a different lens, transforming it into high-quality materials. Today, as we experiment with eggshells and mussel shells, we are diving together into this exciting universe. With every project, we can build a more sustainable future, discovering new ways to innovate and care for our planet!