Coffeefrom is an innovative startup with a social purpose (SIAVS), born from an idea by Social Enterprise Il Giardinone. The startup transforms coffee grounds from the food industry – among the bulkiest organic waste products, considering that for every gram of roasted coffee there are 0,91 grams of waste coffee - into new primary and secondary raw materials, with the involvement of a 100% Italian supply chain.
Thermoplastic granules from coffee grounds
Born in 2021, Coffeefrom develops recycled and biobased thermoplastic granules, where coffee grounds from the food industry – normally disposed in landfills – find a new life. This startup is currently part of the Terra Next accelerator and has filed a patent to extract components from waste coffee and follow a zero-waste logic inserted into Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems.
The company also provides consulting services and as of now has developed three materials: Coffeefrom Bio, a 100% biodegradable material made from coffee grounds in variable percentage and PLA; Coffeefrom Eco, flexible and lightweight, is a 100% recycled material composed of recycled post-industrial low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and coffee grounds; Coffeefrom Strong, composed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and coffee grounds, rigid and able to withstand high temperatures.
Inclusion, industrial symbiosis, and design
All through this value chain, Coffeefrom keeps its social vocation by integrating categories of fragile workers in the logistic and packaging steps and collaborates with other local social companies.
“Our goal is to continue on the path of experimentation of new application scenarios in a logic of industrial symbiosis. To do that, we want to be a reference point for the industrial transformation of exhausted coffee wastes, creating a relationship network where experiences, competencies, values and new development opportunities can be shared,” says founder Laura Gallo.
Next to the thermoplastic granule sales, Coffeefrom has also created some design products well representing the ways the company’s materials can be used - like the espresso cup and saucer, which are part of the ADI Design Index 2022, an annual selection of best Italian design, and today are competing for the 2024 Compasso d’Oro Award.
Website:
www.coffeefrom.it/en
Domain:
Coffee waste upcycling
Plus:
Design product sales, consulting services for companies, and research and development services
Features:
Creation of bio-based and recycled thermoplastic granules from industrial coffee grounds
Image: Coffeefrom