Löfbergs unveils 3D printed coffee station made from waste

Swedish coffee group Löfbergs has teamed up with 3D print company Sculptur to transform coffee production waste into new coffee stations. 

The group claims their 3D printed waste-based coffee station is a “world-first”, with one already in operation and a number of others underway. The collaboration, part of Circular Coffee Community (CCC), aims to reach the group’s target of zero coffee waste by 2030. 

“Our goal is to make all activities related to growing, processing and consuming coffee 100% circular, eliminating all waste throughout our supply chain by 2030,” said Lars Aaen Thøgersen, recently appointed chief innovation and circular transformation officer at Löfbergs.

“Our new coffee station is a prime example of circularity, upcycling leftovers from the processing of our own primary raw material, coffee, to create a brand-new and related sustainable product,” he added. “We are very well aware that we cannot achieve our ambition of circular transformation and eliminating all waste by ourselves. We need playmates and partners for developing both ideas and products.”

Löfbergs launched the CCC, inviting customers, suppliers, researchers and others to take part in the circular transformation of the coffee industry. The community will help to not only tackle important issues such as climate and waste challenges, but also create new revenue opportunities for struggling coffee farmers and provide new products for consumers. 

Sculptur’s CEO, Glenn Mattsing, said: “Using silver skin, which is a bi-product from the coffee roasting process and polypropene, we have been able to create a durable material and a cool design for the coffee stations. Further development will allow us to use polypropene from recycled coffee big bags making the coffee stations close to 100% circular.”

The first circular coffee station is set up at the Lilla ICA Lindvallen supermarket in Sälen, Sweden.