Innovation

Re-fè’s ambition started with Federico thinking about a product that could permit the recycling of the coffee pods in an easier and faster way. With his idea, they created their product, a coffee pods opener that permits separating the coffee pods material and the coffee grounds giving them a second life. They wanted to create a fully circular economy from the beginning, so the opener is fully made of recycled plant-based bioplastic made by a fully sustainable 3D process.

Furthermore, with their innovation, they want to attract people in order to create awareness about the climate action that’s happening in our world. Their intention is to show the problem about the coffee pods recycling that most people are not conscious of - the amount of coffee pods waste in the world is about 576.000.000 kilograms. And what’s more important, is that most of the time, it’s not recycled in the right way because the recycling systems can't manage this waste.

The goal of Re-fè is to create a circular economy that can make their product totally sustainable, a very important phase will be communication and training starting from schools to consulting for different companies.

This will be done through workshops in which their goal is to teach how to use a waste that is often underestimated and not reused, while instead, it can be used as anti-odor, fertilizer or to create totally natural products such as small pots.

Their solution, thus offers coffee lovers a positive impact on the environment, improving everyday life by saving time with a quick and easy method of recycling coffee capsules while avoiding ignoring the ever-increasing problem and contributing to it.

Inspiration

The idea came out during the covid-19 pandemic, when Federico and Gilberto Girotto collided with the correct recycling of coffee’s pods. They thought about a tool which can help recycling from home. Re-fè came out from the need of using the coffee’s grounds for something else instead of putting it in the trash. The idea borned from a long time of research and prototypes. “We don't say that we invented something, but we're trying to create a new way with which we want to educate people about the importance of the correct way to approach sustainability.”

Overall impact

Re-fé has not yet been able to estimate a concrete impact that their product is having, this is because the last year for them has consisted mainly of product development and creating prototypes. Sales are starting to increase at this time, this is because being a newly created start-up, initially, they decided not to insist on focusing only on sales and communication. However, sales are increasing significantly at the Italian level with some sales also present throughout Europe.

In any case, with the sale of the first 50 prototypes, Re-fé is realizing that the underlying problem is people's awareness and education. With the launch of their product, and through the feedback they have received, they can confirm that awareness among people is increasing and the desire to be part of a project to be able to lend a hand in increasing recycling activity.

This means that the potential impact of Re-fé and its product is starting to catch on nationwide. A key part, will be Re-fé's communication regarding its product, the potential and the benefits that come with it, therefore, their training activities, from schools to consulting within companies, will be key.

What Re-fè wants to create is a fully circular economy. The creation of the product that’s fully made of recycled plant-based bioplastic with a 3D fully-sustainable process contributes to this vision.

From the beginning they have decided to focus a lot on research and development. Starting from the various materials with which to build their product to trying to have the lowest possible impact from an environmental point of view to the reuse of coffee grounds, they are designing and creating.

Finally, as also mentioned earlier, purchases in the Italian market are increasing more and more, their goal, therefore, is to continue with this expansion and then, in the future try to target those European/extra-European countries that are characterized by a strong passion for coffee.

Business benefit

Re-fè, from a familiar everyday problem, they first and foremost want to make the lives of everyday people easier and more sustainable.

Since the name they wanted to convey their ideas on what they want to do and the impact that they want to have, actually, it comes from combining the words recycle (Re) and coffee in Italian (caffè - Fè).

Through the product they create and the planned workshops, their intention is to achieve a widespread effect among people.

With this, they want to share the important effects that the right behavior could have in terms of reducing waste that is not recycled in the right way, which every day goes to harm our ecosystem.

Finally, making people aware of this issue, could be only the beginning of a process, which could bring as a result, every day more and more, new people who decide to focus on the environment, understanding the positive impact they can have through simple gestures. All this through the strong passion and commitment that Re-fè puts in more and more every day to achieve its goals.

Social and environmental benefit

The product developed by the team supports the circular economy, starting with the very choice of recyclable raw materials, in fact the first capsule opener was made from recycled bioplastic of vegetable origin. A second mission of the team is to create a tool that would be able to correctly separate and recycle coffee capsules by dividing them into two components, thus allowing any person, in their everyday life, to participate in the development of a circular economy and a development of continuous innovations, making it possible for everyone in their homes to with a simple action, recycle the capsules, it is by starting from the homes of individual consumers that a beneficial impact can be made for the whole world and society in general, so that through this conscious use, the supply of thermo-valorisers and landfills that generate problematic greenhouse gas emissions impacting the environment can be reduced. For this reason, in order to make everyone aware of the importance of conscious use and recycling, the team is carrying out an educational and training programme for people, starting with the capsule opener, on how to use coffee grounds and give them a second life and make this waste circular. They also hold workshops and events to raise awareness of the issues of the circular economy at 360°, and in the future they plan to collaborate within companies through consultancy on the circular economy. Another mission they pursue is research and development of 100% natural materials from waste.

Without a doubt, we can understand how this company not only strives to follow goals such as sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, and combating climate change, but also does everything in its power to ensure that we too can be part of this transition towards conscious, ecological and circular behaviour. The Re-fè team has put its best foot forward, now it is up to us to implement what they have planned, and it could be that in a few years' time.

Interview

Federico Girotto, Valentina Lovat, Marco Santomauro, Founder and designer, Sustainability Manager, Finance Manager