ITOKI and Kewpie upcycle eggshell waste into new furniture

ITOKI CORPORATION, the Japanese furniture manufacturer, has partnered with Kewpie Corporation to develop a novel tabletop material derived from upcycled eggshells, a major byproduct of the food producer’s operations. The material, which visually incorporates the crushed shells into transparent resin, is now being used in furniture delivered to Kewpie’s Sengawa Kewport facility in Tokyo.

This collaboration is part of Kewpie’s established corporate goal of achieving 100% resource recovery for its significant eggshell waste stream. Kewpie is one of Japan’s largest consumers of chicken eggs, utilising approximately 250,000 tonnes (roughly 10% of Japan’s domestic production) annually for mayonnaise and related products. This massive operational scale results in the generation of around 28,000 tonnes of eggshells requiring management each year. ITOKI engaged with Kewpie to handle the waste, while creating a tangible and visual design.

The material development focused specifically on creating an aesthetically evident upcycled product, moving away from initial attempts to produce a plaster-like material that obscured the shells. ITOKI designers used transparent resin to coat and fix coarse, sieved eggshell particles, resulting in a distinctive, three-dimensional texture. This process intentionally avoids final pressing to preserve the material’s natural shadows and unique feel.

ITOKI positions this project as a step toward “furniture making that expresses corporate philosophy and activities as space.” For Kewpie, the updated entrance area at Sengawa Kewport, featuring the new tabletops, serves as a focal point for communicating its core values to visitors and staff. ITOKI views the expertise gained from this joint venture as a foundation for future projects that allow users to experience sustainability through their physical surroundings. The company plans to expand efforts to find new value in resources such as eggshells.