In the Netherlands, many people work passionately with biomass as a raw material. They work on innovations, improve (production) processes or create policy for a fossil-free future. We have had a series of conversations with people who work at companies where bio raw materials are central. In this mini-series we highlight what drives them to work on the transition to a sustainable world. In the fifth episode we have a conversation with Lisanne Addink from Coffee Based.
Lisanne Addink kicked off the conversation with a short introduction. “I trained at the Technical University in Delft as an industrial designer. My graduation project revolved around designing products with materials that are already available. At that time, sustainability was not as integral to education as it is today. The graduation work was groundbreaking in that sense, because I cast aside all common design methods. It resulted in a completely new approach to designing products where waste serves as raw material.”
This 'Weer Valuable' working method and way of thinking appealed not only to Lisanne, but also to her professors and the companies she worked with during her studies. Lisanne: “Immediately after graduating, I received requests from various companies to investigate their waste flows and see how they could be given new value.”
“That's why I started my first company, DamnGood, which to this day is still committed to revaluing materials. The aim is to ensure that materials are not considered waste at the end of their first life, but are repurposed, on an industrial scale and of high quality. In many projects the waste flow is very company-specific, but that does not matter for our working method.”
A remarkable observation was that large quantities of coffee grounds were found in the residual containers at many companies they visited. This became more and more, due to the increase in the use of fresh bean coffee. This led to researching high-quality applications for coffee grounds, which ultimately led to the creation of the spin-off company Coffee Based in 2017.
Coffee Based focuses entirely on revaluing coffee grounds and recently also on silverskin, the membrane that is released when roasting coffee. These two bio-waste streams serve as raw materials for the production of high-quality products.
The concept of turning coffee grounds into a food-safe product is very innovative and has won several innovation awards. Lisanne: “There are some important rules for designing with waste material, many of which also apply to coffee grounds, such as the clean nature of the waste stream, sufficient quantity available and a positive image. This made coffee grounds an attractive raw material.
To make coffee grounds suitable as a raw material, some steps must be taken, such as removing moisture to prevent mold formation. In addition, the coffee grounds must be mixed with a binding agent in order to be processed industrially. Initially, we only developed materials and products that are both bio-based and compostable. The recipes have now been expanded and we also have Coffee Based material that is not only biobased, but also dishwasher safe and food safe.”
Coffee Based chooses to make products with coffee grounds and a plant-based binder, which are sustainable, wear-resistant and recyclable and do not require petroleum. This creates a solution to reuse coffee grounds and produce sustainable biobased products locally.
“It is even possible to make a coffee cup with the Coffee Based material, which is made with coffee grounds and a plant-based binder, which lasts for years, which does not wear out and which is also easily recyclable. This Lucky Cup is the ideal replacement for the disposable cups that will be banned in the office as of January 1.”
Lisanne and her team at Coffee Based continue to continuously look for new ways to revalue materials and ensure the most circular approach possible.
Lisanne: “Waste gives me a stomach ache. That actually completely coincides with why I do what I do. Because if something gives you a stomach ache, you can sit down and think: yes, that's just how it is. Or you can say, what can I do about it? And that fits my thinking more; What can I do about it? I pretend to be an approach that starts somewhere else. You have a certain need, but you also already have materials. So you actually have to pay attention to both simultaneously and equally to ensure that those two things ultimately come together. How do I fulfill that need with the available materials?
Looking at the industry, what actually goes away as waste. I can literally feel pain in my body. That I think, oh seriously, do we call this trash? Why? I don't know who ever made that statement, but I always like to borrow it: Waste is a raw material that has lost its way. I really believe that, because there is no waste in nature. When do you suddenly call something waste? Something is something now and then, if all goes well, it can become something else again. And if that is not the case, then the designers or the producers have actually done something wrong.”
A challenge that Lisanne and her company face is the restrictive legislation surrounding waste flows. As circular entrepreneurs, they are confronted with obstacles and barriers, because coffee grounds are seen as waste and you are not allowed to simply collect, transport or process waste. These obstacles require a lot of time, money and energy to overcome, but the passion, willpower and the challenge of contributing to a circular economy keep them motivated.
Lisanne emphasizes the importance of rethinking the definition of waste and calls for a new approach to materials currently considered useless. “I strongly believe in the power of innovation and we have the willpower to create positive change. Together with others who challenge the status quo, we strive to develop materials and products that fit into a circular economy and prevent waste.”
Photo Lisanne: © Peter den Houden
