Italian Designers Transform Fruit Peel into Stylish Furniture
Milan's Krill Design utilizes fruit peel to 3D print innovative office accessories and furniture, revolutionizing the concept of bioplastics
In a world where nothing goes to waste, everything is reused, recycled, and repurposed, resulting in products that never reach the end of their life cycle. A report by the Circle Economy Foundation found that only 7.2% of used materials are being reused and recycled without generating waste.
Krill Design, a company based in Milan, is striving to make a difference by producing furniture items from a patented biomaterial called Rekrill. This material is described as completely organic, biodegradable, and reusable.
Established in 2018 by three architects, two of whom had previously founded a 3D-printing company, Krill Design utilizes discarded fruit peels, orange seeds, and coffee grounds from various businesses in Italy to create their products. These items can then be returned to the businesses for use in their office spaces, offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic furniture. Krill Design's product line includes bookends, stools, clocks, bowls, and a unique lamp called Ohmie.
"After three or four years, you have to change your furniture [anyway]," Marco Di Maio, director of operations at Krill, points out. "But if all that furniture was made using our materials, we would be able to recover them, crush them, and use the material to print other furniture. And if, by accident, any of our material ends up in the ocean, it is biodegradable and doesn't produce any microplastics."
The production process involves four steps. First, the food waste is dried and crushed into a fine powder. This powder is then mixed with a biodegradable plastic alternative called polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), with the fruit waste making the PHB sturdier, as explained by Krill. The mixture is then converted into a filament and fed into a 3D printer using a spool. While an Ohmie lamp takes around three hours to print, the printing duration can vary for other products.
"Theres a lot of companies that do design, and we wanted to be different," says Di Maio.
Products like the "Ohmie" lamp are printed hollow to reduce cost and printing time, says Krill.
Krill Design
Krill has partnered with well-known brands such as Sanpellegrino and Four Seasons, as well as contributed to the Co.ffee Era project with the municipality of Milan. This project is aimed at reducing coffee waste in three neighborhoods of the city. Krill's contributions include designing wine coolers, trays, drink holders, and organizers, each made from food waste and reflecting the colors of the original materials, such as bright orange from orange peel and rich, dark brown from coffee grounds.
By reusing fruit peel and coffee grounds that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to landfill, Rekrill offsets one kilogram of carbon dioxide for every kilogram of plastic produced, according to Di Maio.
Rekrill is described as being as durable as wood and resistant to degradation unless it comes into contact with water, bacteria, or acidity. Additionally, because it is made from organic materials, when Rekrill breaks down it is safe for fish to eat and can also be used in home compost. Despite these environmentally friendly advantages, Di Maio acknowledges that Rekrill is costly, stating that "our material costs probably six times more than common plastic." He acknowledges the difficulty and expense of the process, but emphasizes that they took a risk and it has been successful.
Bioplastics
Di Maio remains optimistic that Rekrill will see much broader adoption in the coming years, driven by increasing awareness of the environmental harm caused by unsustainable plastics among both consumers and businesses.
While bioplastics currently represent less than 1% of the 390 million tons of plastic produced annually, it is a rapidly growing segment with applications across different sectors, including food packaging, textiles, and electronics. A number of other companies are innovating in this area, including UK-based Polymateria, which claims to have created the "world's first self-destructing plastic," which can be broken down into a wax-like substance that can fully biodegrade in soil.
This sliced orange table lamp was created as part of the San Pellegrino project.
Krill Design
Joe Iles, circular design lead at the environmental charity Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and not associated with Krill, emphasizes the importance of understanding that bioplastics labeled as home compostable may not break down quickly without proper conditions. A recent study in the UK found that 60% of products labeled as compostable plastics do not fully decompose in home composting. Furthermore, Iles notes that some novel bioplastic materials may not be compatible with local recycling systems.
Despite these potential concerns, it is crucial to support and praise businesses that are working towards establishing a more circular economy. "We need people to take risks and trying new things, even if it means making mistakes sometimes. Ultimately, we are making progress," Iles emphasizes.
Krill is currently exploring the use of other food waste such as eggshells, tomatoes, and grape leftovers from winemaking. They are also working towards enhancing their production process to be more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly.
Ultimately, the company aims to market the Rekrill filament, allowing individuals and businesses to produce items using their own 3D-printer. Additionally, the company is exploring the development of injection molding as an alternative to 3D-printing, which could reduce costs and time by injecting the molten compound of food waste and PHB into molds.
"We truly believe that this material is the future," Di Maio states. "Progressing gradually, one step at a time."
