MILAN – An Italian design firm has successfully manufactured furniture made from fruit peels.
Krill Design, a Milan-based manufacturer founded by three architects, has patented Rekrill, an organic material made from fruit peels, orange seeds and coffee ground waste. So far, the company has mostly made accessories and small furniture using the material. Products include stools, bookends, clocks, bowls and a lamp named Ohmie.
The manufacturing process looks like this: Fruit peels and waste are dried and pulverized into a fine powder before being mixed with a biodegradable plastic substitute. It’s then converted into a filament to be 3D printed.
All Rekrill products can be crushed and broken down for use in other products, the company says, helping to promote a circular economy. Items are biodegradable, don’t produce any microplastics and are even safe enough for fish to eat, it says. The material is about as sturdy as wood and won’t begin to degrade unless it encounters water or bacteria.
Stools, which feature the words “I am an orange” on the base, are around 16 inches tall, weigh around 3 pounds and have a weight limit of around 240 pounds. They sell for around $321. Bookends run for $55 and clocks for around $105. Everything is made in Italy.
Krill has collaborated with several well-known brands, including Sanpellegrino and the Four Seasons hotel chain. Through these collaborations, it has produced drink trays and holders, wine coolers and trays made from Rekrill.