Coffee comes full circle: First ever 3D printed coffee station made from waste

Swedish coffee group Löfbergs is collaborating with 3D print entrepreneur Sculptur to transform coffee production waste into brand new coffee stations. The collaboration is part of the Circular Coffee Community and the pursuit of the group’s ambition of zero coffee waste by 2030. The World’s first 3D printed waste-based coffee station is already in operation and more are underway.

Imagine putting all available resources to good use and eliminating all waste in the process. At Swedish coffee group Löfbergs that’s exactly what they strive for, and results are starting to show. One is the World’s first ever 3D printed coffee station using leftovers from the company’s own production of coffee.

“Our goal is to make all activities related to growing, processing and consuming coffee 100 percent circular, eliminating all waste throughout our supply chain by 2030,” Lars Aaen Thøgersen explains. He is the company’s recently appointed Chief Innovation and Circular Transformation Officer.

Prime circularity and collaboration
“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 adds.

Lars Aaen Thøgersen also considers the coffee station an example to follow when it comes to collaboration.

“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,” he says.

Therefore, Löfbergs has launched The Circular Coffee Community (CCC) inviting customers, suppliers, researchers and others to take part in the circular transformation of the coffee industry. By utilizing all resources, the community’s initiatives will not only take on the industry’s waste and climate challenges, but also create new revenue opportunities for struggling coffee farmers and new products for consumers.

Putting waste to good use
The actual manufacturer of the new coffee station, Sculptur, is specializing in 3D printing using recycled materials. CEO Glenn Mattsing is excited to be part of the Circular Coffee Community and joining forces with Löfbergs.

“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 percent circular,” he explains.

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