Covington-based company looks for single-use plastic alternatives

Single-use plastics are a reality of modern life. Nearly one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, and up to five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year, according to a report published by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Moreover, the world produces approximately 400 million tons of plastic waste per year, according to the same report. As this waste makes its way into the natural environment, it can damage soil, contaminate groundwater and negatively impact the health of marine wildlife.

The drawbacks of single-use plastics have spurred a worldwide effort to reduce humanity’s reliance on them. Entrepreneurs, activists, environmentalists and normal citizens are working around the clock to find solutions.

One of those entrepreneurs working on solutions is Cincinnati native Andrew Bliss, who launched a new company based out of Covington that offers an eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastics.

Ecoshell LLC holds distribution and representation rights for GEX — the world’s only patented and eco-certified material derived from eggshells. GEX is the resultant material that can be blended with plastic and achieve a plastic content reduction between 30% and 50%, according to a report in PackagingEurope.com. GEX can be used to create packaging materials, consumer goods and containers, among other things.

Bliss told LINK nky that products with GEX achieve a 70% reduction in carbon emissions compared to virgin plastic. From his perspective, the product offers higher quality at a lower cost compared to other green materials like bioplastics.

“These eggshells at the very end are powdered and then they’re pelletized, and we can use these pellets in the compound for plastic to reduce plastic up to 50%. It’s all certified and it’s patented, and it’s a really exciting product,” he said.

Ecoshell already has a robust network of contracted partner factories across China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia thanks to Bliss’ international connections. He spent the better part of 18 years working in Asia — specifically Japan, South Korea and Taiwan — where he spent time working as a writer, educator and entrepreneur.

Bliss first met Travis Lin, the inventor of GEX technology, in Taiwan through a consulting company. Lin wanted to expand his business into the western hemisphere. With Bliss hailing from the United States, the two decided it would be advantageous to do business together. The rest is history.

Spark Sourcing, the parent company of Ecoshell run by Bliss, was already incorporated in Taiwan and Canada. Ecoshell is actually the name chosen for the company’s launch in the west. Bliss initially wanted to set up in Canada. Ultimately, he nixed the idea when it took longer than expected.

“I had trouble running the business from abroad, and my partners in Canada were too busy to really let it take off, and the benefits from the government never materialized,” Bliss said. 

That’s when he focused his efforts on establishing Ecoshell in the Greater Cincinnati area, which is a logistics hub due to its size, entrepreneurial environment, and reputation. It is also close to Procter & Gamble and Kroger, two multinational corporations that use a lot of single-use plastics in their packaging. 

“It just made sense to come home, because the timing was perfect to be in America for this technology, because there are lots of plastic reduction mandates coming out, and a lot of brand’s sustainability dedications are getting even stronger, so we have just a perfect solution for them,” Bliss said.

Terry Faulkner, a longtime friend and collaborator of Bliss, is a sustainability consultant for Spark Sourcing. He told LINK nky that reducing the amount of plastic discarded into the environment is of the utmost importance.

“No, we’re probably not going to stop plastic production, but we’re going to sure as heck limit how much plastic goes out there and make the plastic product that we have recyclable and/or degradable,” he said.

Faulkner, specifically, specializes in cannabis packaging. Despite the cannabis industry’s claims of being environmentally conscious, the industry still uses single-use plastics in much of its packaging, he said. Faulkner believes Ecoshell can produce eco-friendly packaging for the cannabis industry.

“It’s funny because cannabis producers claim to be one with the Earth, but unfortunately, a lot of the products that cannabis producers use are their one-time plastics,” Faulkner said.

Looking ahead, Bliss hopes to establish the Ecoshell brand in the region and North America. Ecoshell will market its resins and compounds to brands and manufacturers aiming to reduce their plastic usage and carbon footprint. The company will also introduce its own line of branded eco-friendly products and groundbreaking materials such as plastic film.

Currently, Bliss is operating the business out of his home in Mainstrasse Village. So far, Bliss has been impressed by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit.

“Over here in Kentucky, they want everybody in the community to succeed, because if one succeeds, the region succeeds,” he said. “It was just a really good feeling over here in Northern Kentucky, and there’s a really strong entrepreneurial environment here.”