Latte: Coffee Lampshade

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Mond Qu, United Make

Every year, over 3000 tonnes of coffee waste is produced. Less than 10% is recycled while the rest goes to landfill. What are we able to do with this byproduct from our thirst for more coffee? This prototype coffee lampshade is hand-made from recycled coffee grounds that are usually discarded.

The waste grounds are collected from local Melbourne cafes and sun-dried for 96 hours before being mixed with a resin. This mixture is poured into moulds and allowed to grow and cure into their final forms which only takes minutes. The growth of each lampshade is different, although they have the same mould the growth reactions are organic which creates remarkable translucency and uniqueness.

As the world starts to run out of virgin materials, we need to look at different ways of reuse, recycle and upkeep.

Latte is a prototype that tackles these issues of discarded materials in the 21st century and aims to help show different approaches where craftsmanship, design and reuse can be not only useful but also beautiful.

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Mond Qu_is the founder of United Make, an experimental think-tank and multi-disciplinary studio based in Melbourne. unitedmake.com

_{Image: Photo of lampshade}