3D printing coffee
We’ve all heard the buzz around used coffee grounds being a friend to the environment with places like Starbucks giving them away for free for customers to use in their gardens. Likewise 3D printing prides itself of being a green technology for a multitude of reasons such as reduced waste and decreasing non-environmentally friendly supply chains, so it was only a matter of time before the two crossed paths.
3D printing filament manufacturer 3Dom USA has released a new bio-material made from coffee. The filament, Wound Up, is the first product from the company’s continuing partnership with North Dakota-based bio-composite company, c2renew, which is set to produce a line of even more unusual bio-based products in the near future.
The material is made using waste by-products from coffee leftovers to create a special 3D printing material with some unique print qualities including a rich brown finish and natural grain. Coffee-lovers will be happy to hear that during printing there is apparently a very distinct sweet coffee aroma.
Wound Up can be printed on any 3D printer capable of printing with PLA and comes spooled on a 100% bio-based Eco Spool designed specifically for environmental sustainability and to tackle the growing concern for the mass of disregarded filament spools.
“It’s about putting the material in the hands of you, the creator to use what once was unusable,” 3Dom USA says in the launch video. “It’s all part of our dedication to high quality, practical and sustainable 3D printing materials.”
3Dom USA also supplies plant-based Biome3D filament, an environmentally friendly material that combines easy processing, a superior print finish and faster print speeds and was one of the first steps in 3Dom's mission to deliver a range of specialised 3D printing filaments that support eco-friendliness and sustainability.