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Type Timeline Class Tools
Packaging, Material 8 weeks Studio Cutting tools, Stovetop
Exploration, Product Design
Type Timeline Class Tools
Packaging, Material 8 weeks Studio Cutting tools, Stovetop
Exploration, Product Design
Type Timeline Class Tools
Packaging, Material 8 weeks Studio Cutting tools, Stovetop
Exploration, Product Design
GROUND 2 GROUND
Where upcycling and sustainable design meet
Globally, we consume 2.25 billion cups of coffee a day that equals to 23 million tons of wasted coffee grounds each year.
Ground2Ground is a set of up-cycled straws fabricated using the ever-abundant resource of used coffee grounds blended with natural binding agents. The straws are designed to be reused and are compostable, returning back to the ground at the end of its life.
TYPE
Packaging / Material Exploration / Branding
TIMELINE
4 weeks
BRAIN STORMING IDEAS
It all started with my reimagination of a single-use coffee cup and straw. This led me into an exploratory phase where I created ideations and started building 3 dimensional speculative objects. I was most interested in further exploring my
concept for a straw that I created using wasted coffee grounds.
MATERIAL EXPLORATION
I explored blending wasted coffee grounds with natural binding agents such as chitin. I am still in an exploratory phase to find the most durable material combination. My vision is to extrude a bio-composite using coffee grounds as an additive to existing natural polymers for mass production.
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE
The above diagram is the life cycle analysis of the straws. They were designed with the intension of using the cradle to cradle (Ground to Ground) approach. My research also highlights how farmers in the coffee sector are exploited. Therefore, my next step was to imagine a service that not only collects wasted coffee grounds but also helps farmers.
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USER STORY BOARDS
The above illustrations analyze three user journeys to better understand the system for the collection and distribution of the Ground2Ground straws. The service donates 15% of profits to coffee farmers in Harrar, Ethiopia.
PRODUCT + PACKAGING
The straws are available in 3 different colors. They are packaged in a triangular cardboard box that is easy to stack and takes up less space during distribution. The user can individually pick out straws with the perforation on the front or simply open the entire package from top.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The most rewarding part of this project was that it started off as a material exploration and led to a brand that reimagined sustainable and ethical consumption. Click here if you are interested to know what this project further evolved into.
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