At Caffe Inc., we have always believed that what others discard is simply a resource in the wrong place.
For years, our focus has been on demonstrating that coffee is more than a beverage. So we transform used coffee grounds into valuable ingredients for food, cosmetics, natural textile dyes and biomaterials. But coffee is not the only natural by-product with untapped potential.
Across agriculture, valuable resources are often overlooked, burned or left behind. This inspired us to ask:
What happens when two distinct underutilized resources come together in one circular product?
The Problem: Unused Resources With Hidden Value
Coffee is one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages and is produced in more than 70 countries. Annual production averages around 165-170 million bags, generating more than 10 million tonnes of spent coffee grounds each year.
However, much of this material remains underused. When post-brew coffee grounds are sent to landfill, they decompose and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, while valuable oils, nutrients and functional compounds are lost. At the same time, other agricultural residues face a similar fate. Pineapple leaves are often treated as waste after the harvest, even though they contain strong natural fibres that can be transformed into textile materials.
At Caffe Inc., we see this differently. What others overlook, we see as value.
The Solution: Unlocking Hidden Value
This project brings together two circular innovations:
- Caffe Inc.’s coffee-derived colorants
- Piñayarn® made by PiNatex
Our premium, high-performance coffee-based colorants are ready to use on a wide range of textiles, including cotton, silk, hemp, wool and viscose. Now we have taking the next step and tested our colorants in natural upcycled materials like Piñayarn. Offering a natural alternative for textile coloration, they create rich shades ranging from khaki and dark brown to warm orange tones. Piñayarn® is made by repurposing pineapple leaves that would otherwise often be burned after harvest. The fibres are extracted and blended with other plant-based fibres to create yarn for the textile market. Through closed-loop production and dry spinning technology, it offers a low-impact alternative for textile applications.
Together, these two materials show how different agricultural byproducts can be transformed into one circular design.
A Personal Connection
The idea came from our founder, Evaluna Márquez, who grew up in Costa Rica, a country connected to both tropical crops.
For her, this project brings two familiar worlds together: “I have been driven by purpose after I finished my studies and 7 years ago I had to make a though choice pineapple or coffee. You can guess what I chose. This garment represents the perfect example of a fully upcycled garment, demonstrating how waste streams can be transformed into materials that create both environmental and economic value. However it brings me back to my roots and it shows how these crops can re-meet. In the future we can make this with so many more materials.”
Why This Matters
By combining two resources that are usually discarded, this garment shows what the future of sustainable fashion can look like.
It proves that circularity does not have to stop at one material, one industry or one innovation. Pineapple leaves become yarn. Coffee becomes color. Together, they become a circular garment that tells a bigger story about creativity and responsibility.
We continue to push toward a future where circularity has no limits and is mostly built in opportunities as nature has so much to offer.