E-CO-FFEE is a series of modular implements designed to help users reuse coffee grounds in a clean and convenient way. The implements allow users to build a micro-circulatory system to fully reuse coffee grounds through sharing, deodorizing, providing aroma, and using as fertilizer. The modular design allows users to choose the implements needed for different reuse situations. The goal is to help users make good use of coffee grounds through a clean, convenient system of circulation and reuse.

1. E-CO-FFEE
Create the eco - life by reusing coffee ground
An-Sheng Huang , Mei-Ling Lu
Jan. 22th , 2013
Report of Industrial Design Senior Project

2. E-CO-FFEE
Because of the structure and physical property,
coffee ground has some special effects to be used
before it is dumped to be kitchen waste.
E-CO-FFEE is a series of modular implements
to help users to reuse coffee ground in a clean and convenient way.
Users can build up a micro-circulatory system
to make their lives more natural.

3. CONTENT
Problem 1
Motivation / Purpose 2
Statistics 3
Competitors Research 5
Sketch 7
Users' Behavior Research 14
Customer Journey 15
Personas 17
Ways of Reusing Coffee Ground 18
Concept Development 19
3D Model 20
Feature of Design 21
Context of Use 22

4. 1 2
PROBLEM MOTIVATION / PURPOSE
Why do we have to recycle
Coffee Ground?
According to the research, if we just dump coffee ground to the refuse area, it will decomposes and
In Taiwan, there are many coffee shop in the department store or on the street. Recently, the produces methane and greenhouse gas, which are 20 times more than the usual. The organic liquid
market of coffee extend to the convenient store. In order to seize this business opportunity, the also produces pathogen to cause the pollution of underwater.
convenient store bring in the innovative coffee machine. However, it also produces large amount
of coffee ground. If we make good use of coffee ground's nutrition and organic matter to fertilize, it can keep the
ground fertile and make the plant or crop grow. Besides, coffee beans become 10 times larger than
According to the statistic, nearly 30000 kg of coffee ground per month is produced by Taiwan, original after brewing. The holes of coffee ground become big ( just like active carbon), so that it can
and nearly 40 kg of coffee ground per day is produced by a Starbucks or City Café of 7-11, adsorb the bad smell and moisture. This characteristic can also make a role of helper in home.
which is nearby the MRT station. There's only few coffee shops (City Café of 7-11) will cooperate
with textile factory to make the textile by coffee ground. Most coffee shops just dump it.

5. 3 4
STATISTICS
500 cups of coffee / per person / per year
103150000 kg of coffee grounds / per year
≒ X 14735
2-3 cups of coffee daily
/ per person
15692373 kg 30000 kg of coffee grounds
/ per month
of coffee grounds / per day
≒ X4
≒ X 2241
WORLD AVERAGE
1 / per year 120 cups of coffee 3 kg of coffee grounds

6. 5 6
COMPETITORS RESEARCH
>Apple Peel Grower
Second Chance Collection “The process of making Natural Sour Dough, also known as Mother Yeast, is a complex and delicate task. An
excellent way of stimulating and nourishing the saccharomycetes involved in the fermentation process is to place
The collection was born from TourDeForks recent research into the reuse and recycling of raw Kitchen apple skins in the perforated top partition of the lid.The apples natural oxidation helps create a balanced mini
materials. biosystem in which the yeast can thrive.”
Second Chance is inspired by local Italian folk tradition and ritual, which has always tried to find a use to
what could be “food waste”, suggesting new utilities and reveling the hidden potential, of what could easily
end up in the waste bin.
Reinterpreting ancient gestures through modern form, TourDeFork created a collection of objects that offer
a Second Chance of employment to food waste. ------------ TourDeFork
>Orange Peel Hanger
>Coffee Scent Dissipater
The Orange Peel Hanger for leftover orange or any other
exotic fruit peel is a steel skewer hung over a warm radiator
during the winter. “The zesty oils contained in the skins
will evaporate and engulf the room with their fragrance. Put used coffee grounds in the porcelain container and hang in the fridge. Coffee grounds act as an excellent
You can even use the dried skins in cakes and jams.” odor neutralizer.

7. 7 8
SKETCH I
We design a micro-circulatory system of reusing the kitchen waste in the cafe.
For environmental and habitual concern,
we design a series of implements to help users
to reuse coffee grounds and peels.

8. 9 10
SKETCH II
We choose "coffee shop" and "home" as our target environment,
and plan a micro-circulatory system of reusing coffee grounds.
According to the environment and habitat research,
we design a series of implements to help users to reuse coffee grounds.

9. 11 12
SKETCH III
We choose "coffee shop" and "home" as our target environment,
and plan a micro-circulatory system of reusing coffee grounds.
According to the environment and habitat research,
we design a series of implements to help users to reuse coffee grounds.
In this stage, we change the way of sharing and drying coffee grounds,
and make it better to use.

10. 13 14
SKETCH IV USERS' BEHAVIOR RESEARCH
Experiment: Asking for coffee ground at coffee shop /
Interview: How the coffee shop deal with coffee ground
In the process of asking for coffee ground, we discover that we have to make this request, then the
worker open the machine to take out coffee ground. Coffee shop is willing to share coffee ground,
but the hint of "You can bring coffee ground home for free" is not clear.
There's large amount of coffee ground is produced everyday. Some private coffee shop will reuse
coffee ground to fertilize plants, or put it on the corner and fridge to deodorize and exsiccate.
Besides, we know by interviewing the worker of 7-11 City Café that: although few of them will
cooperate with textile factory to make the textile by coffee ground, most of them just dump it.
How is coffee ground produced /
The way of collecting coffee ground at present
At backstage, the worker grounds coffee by machine, and puts it in the container which is like a tiny
pot on the coffee maker. Then a cup of coffee is made after brewing.
The way of collecting coffee ground is to make the container knock on the coffee ground box. The
coffee ground box has a special tube on it, so that most of coffee ground can be poured out by
In this stage, we improve the form the products, knocking the container on the tube. Then use the spoon to clean out the rest of coffee ground in the
and make them modular. container.
We try to make them easier to use and make them logical.
Photo locations: MyDesy Café, 7-11 City Cafe, How Relex Café

11. 15 16
CUSTOMER JOURNEY
USER'S
BEHAVIOR Deodorize
Coffee Grounds Bring Coffee Dry Coffee Make Coffee
Share & Fertilize
Produced Grounds Home Grounds Grounds Moldy
USER Exsiccate
COFFEE SHOP WORKER
COFFEE SHOP WORKER
HOME USER
HOME USER
ENVIRONMENT Coffee Maker Coffee Shop Coffee Shop Oven, Microwave Fridge, Closet, Balcony Plant
→ Home Shoes cabinet....
PRODUCT

12. 17 18
PERSONAS WAYS OF REUSING
COFFEE GROUND
Remove greasy
Combine coffee grounds smell of pot/pan.
with kitchen waste to
remove bad smell.
How does it work?
Af ter brewing, coffee beans
become 10 times larger than Wash hands
original. The holes of coffee
ground become big so that it has
the great effect of adsorption,
just like active carbon.
Deodorize & Exsiccate
(put in the fridge,
How does it work?
Coffee shop's worker Home User Because of the destroyed protein,
shoes cabinet, closet,
ashtray...etc.) musty coffee ground won't make the
roots of plant hurt. Coffee grounds
produce nitrogen with air, carbon, and
Coffee grounds are the most Coffee shop can share
water, which is the important element
kitchen waste in the cafe. They numerous coffee grounds that
are always dumped to be the they produce daily, to build up a of fertilizer.
kitchen waste. However, some of mode with the general public to Combine the musty
them have special effects to be help each other, so that coffee coffee grounds with soil
used, because of the structure grounds can play the role of to help plants growing
& physical property of coffee life's helper at coffee shop and better.
grounds. home.
Prevent insects/
animals from hurting
plants.
Wipe to clean
the copper.
How does it work?
Some insects/animals How does it work?
don't like the smell of The oil of coffee
coffee ground. ground.
Wipe to wax
the floor.

13. 20
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT 3D MODEL
Dry Coffee Ground Exsiccate Wet Coffee Ground Fertilize
Wet Coffee Ground Aroma Deodorize Aroma
Principle: Principle: Principle:
The smell of coffee After brewing, coffee Because of the
g r o u n d i s n o t l i ke beans become 10 times destroyed protein,
other kitchen waste. larger than original. musty coffee ground
Even after weeks, The holes of coffee won't make the roots
the smell of it is ground become big so of plant hurt. Coffee
mellow. The smell of that it has the great grounds produce
coffee ground will be effect of adsorption, n i t r o g e n w i t h a i r,
mellower by heating just like active carbon. carbon, and water,
it. which is the important
element of fertilizer.
↑
The structure of coffee
ground under the
microscope. The holes
can have the good effect
of adsorption.
19

14. 21 22
FEATURE OF DESIGN CONTEXT OF USE
Share
( Coffee shop → Home )
Deodorize
Exsiccate
Aroma
(Also dry coffee grounds
for exsiccating again)
Fertilize
Share module:
The worker of coffee
shop can collect
coffee ground into it Aroma module:
easily. The costumer
can take coffee The heat of the
Modular candle light make
ground if they want.
coffee ground
The transparent containers of filling coffee ground are all the same one. Put different Deodorize &
spread its smell, and
modules on it according to different situation. Users can choose the modules they need. Exsiccate module:
also make coffee
ground dry so that
When it is put in
it can deodorize and
Circulation of reusing the fridge, closet,
exsiccate again.
cabinet..., users can Fertilize module:
Users can reuse coffee ground fully in a circulation. put other things
SHARE DEODORIZE & EXSICCATE AROMA FERTILIZE on it if there's lots Help users to
of things. It won't fertilize in a clean
occupy the space w a y. S h a k e t h e
Help users to make good use of coffee ground because of its form. module to make
coffee ground drop
Actually, much kitchen waste has special effects. However, it's a little inconvenient and into the plants.
messy when reusing it, because that it is kitchen waste. Our products not just make
users realize how eco-friendly it is to reuse coffee ground, but also help users to reuse
coffee ground to help their lives in a clean and convenient way.