My household goes through a lot of eggs. My dog gets a raw egg with every meal, we eat eggs ourselves almost daily, DIY hair masks using eggs and the list goes on. Egg shells are often overlooked treasures in our kitchens, typically destined for the trash or compost bin after serving their culinary purpose. However, what many people don’t realize is that these seemingly mundane shells possess a multitude of practical and surprising uses. Read more to learn ways to recycle eggshells in your home!
#1 Garden Fertilizer
This one is the most common but I think it’s important for gardeners to understand that egg shells can take years to break down in the soil and may not offer any added nutrition until then. BUT… egg shells can be added to set a future garden up for success. Eggshells are very rich in calcium! Break them up or even powder them to speed up the breakdown process!
#2 Chicken Feed
This one may seem odd. The eggs came from the chickens and now we’re going to feed them back to the chickens?? What?! Laying hens need a lot of calcium and eggshells have just that. Its perfectly healthy for them. Just bake the shells, crush them up and feed them to the hens! Raising chickens is expensive enough as it is, why not save a few bucks!
#3 Feed The Birds
Similar to #3, female birds can benefit from eggshells just as hens can. Add some baked and crushed shells to your bird feeder and watch all kinds of birds munch away!
#4 Supplement For Canine Friends
This is how I use up majority of my eggs shells. I save up quite a bit over time, roast in the over, then powder them using a blender or food processor. I sprinkle a small amount onto my dogs food a few times a week. This is perfectly safe for your furry friend and its even said to be a diarrhea remedy for dogs!
#5 Sidewalk Chalk For The Kiddos
Mix some powdered eggshells with some water and a tiny bit of flour and watch your kids (or yourself) have fun with this natural sidewalk chalk alternative. You can add food coloring to the paste, too! Who knew that the ways to recycle eggshells could be so fun!
#6 DIY Calcium Supplement
I personally don’t do this but I had a conversation with someone who powders the eggshells and spoons them into veggie capsules. A good option for those who make their own supplements!
#7 Add To The Compost
Add calcium to your compose by tossing in your eggshells! Perfect if you like to garden – compost is essential for gardens!
#8 Sprinkle Crushed Shells Around Plants to Deter Pests
Pests such as slugs and snails don’t like moving over sharp objects. If there’s a slug problem in your garden, create a crushed eggshell moat around affected plants!
#9 Seedling Planters
If you like to start seeds indoors – this may be a good use for you! I’ve personally never tried this but I know that there are many people that do it. If anyone reading this had tried it – please comment and let me know how it went. I feel like the eggshell would take too long to break down in the soil, preventing the roots from expanding… but who knows! I’ve been wrong before.
#10 Cleans Pots & Pans
Add finely crushed eggs shells to some dish soap and scrub with a sponge. This acts as an effective and natural abrasive!
#11 Toss ’em in Your Coffee
Weird, I know. I do this here and there to take away from the bitterness of black coffee. What I do it boil eggshells in a pot of water for half hour, strain, and use that water to make my coffee!
#12 Simply Eat Them
Give your body the ultimate calcium boost! You can do this by adding the fine powder to drinks, food or baking!
#13 Add to Potting Soil
If you’re like me, you likely think that potting soil is ridiculously expensive. I make my own from cheap bags by adding compost, eggshells, cardboard, perlite and any other nutrient rich additives!
#14 Add to Bone Broth
I make bone broth quite frequently and I change it up eat time by boiling other nutrient dense scraps (like eggshells).
#15 Cute Tealight Holders
Take 1/2 eggshells and drop them in water mixed with food coloring. Let them soak for 30 minutes and let them dry. Add a tealight candle and you have a cute Easter DIY! You can get natural wax from Amazon and make it a fun Easter family craft by melting and pouring the wax into the shells. Make sure you get the wicks, too!
#16 Clear up Your Skin
Add some eggshells to a jar with apple cider vinegar and let the shells steep for a few weeks. Add to minor irritations and blemishes!
#17 Clean Hard to Reach Bottles
Add a crushed up eggshell, water, and some soap to any container with a narrow neck. Shake it up & rinse it out. Now you have a clean jar!
I’m sure the ways to recycle eggshells are endless. As always, let me know in the comments if you recycle eggshells and how you repurpose them!
