Eco-conscious student creates range of glasses made from coffee grounds
An eco-conscious student has developed a range of glasses – made from coffee grounds.
Ryan Davren, 24, uses coffee grounds that would otherwise be sent to landfill to create the distinctive frames for his brand, Flat White.
Roughly 95 million cups of coffee are consumed every day in the UK, with little commercial use for the waste material.
But product design student Ryan decided to utilise and manipulate the grounds to produce frames for glasses.
Ryan, who studies at the University of Dundee, came up with the idea while working in a cafe.
He said :“We live in a society that is fuel led by coffee but responsible for producing waste. Every time I make a cup of coffee, a hockey pucksize of compressed coffee is produced. I used to think that this was compostable, but it is actually sent to landfill.
“It is a hard material to recycle and that is when I decided I would try and attribute some value to it by turning it into frames for glasses. So far the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“These first pairs are pro - duced by myself in a workshop, but there is no reason why they could not be mass produced.”
Ryan, from Bishop briggs, Glasgow, says early feedback to his designs suggest Flat White has a shot of achieving commercial success.
He said: “The face is prime real estate and glasses are always a good conversation starter. Because they look a bit different they promote conversation about what they are made of and this serves to highlight the environmental issues in our culture. The material is castable and is very similar to wood to work with.
“The frames retain an organic smell, not like coffee, but there is an earthy character to every pair.
“The material is also incredibly robust, so I’m delighted with what I have been able to create.”
Ryan is preparing to showcase his sustainable glasses year’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art& Design and Architecture Degree Show. The show runs from 17 to 26 May.