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BERLIN, Germania – Berlin-based Kaffeeform was established in 2015. All its products are designed at the company’s headquarters and then manufactured by its partners at three plants in Germany. We spoke to Julian Nachtigall-Lechner, the creator and CEO of this project that has started from an idea: to take recycled coffee grounds and renewable raw materials to give Birth to the durable, robust Kaffeeform coffee material and from this, the Kaffeeform Cups.
From your experience with Kaffeeform, how has the coffee on the go market in Europe evolved in recent years?
“The global demand for coffee on the go has been steadily rising in recent years. In Europe, this trend is particularly strong, driven by an increasing need for convenience, mobility and by a strong café culture. While single-use cups still dominate the market in terms of volume, there is a clear and growing demand for sustainable reusable alternatives.”
Sustainability, functionality: how have you combined these two needs into one product?
“I started by developing the material itself, which laid the foundation. With my background as a product designer, I was able to translate this material into a practical, everyday object.
User feedback and ongoing research based on the latest technology have played a major
role in continuously improving the product.”
How much does one of your cups cost, how long does it last, how have you solved the problem of maintaining the temperature of the drink without affecting the taste?
“Our Weducer Cups retail from €16, and businesses or cafés can benefit from significantly lower wholesale pricing, including the option to personalize the cups with their own logo.
The cups are designed for long-term use and are very durable. Thanks to a double-walled design with a neutral inner layer, beverages stay pleasantly warm for up to 1.5 hours and the inner layer does not affect the taste. Unlike traditional stainless steel thermal cups, our design allows users to get a real sense of the drink’s temperature.”
Are there formats for espresso as well? How much do they cost?
“We currently offer one reusable Weducer Cup series in three sizes: 250ml, 300ml, and
350ml. Each comes with a practical, fully sealable lid. Espresso sizes are not part of the
current product range.”
Can you explain the genesis of the material you have developed for your cups? What coffee, how much and how did you use it?
“The material development began in Italy during my final semester at the Free University of Bolzano. It started with small kitchen experiments, and over time, I collaborated with experts from various disciplines to refine the material. The process took around four years and involved extensive testing. Crucial to the development was knowledge from other fields – for example, we stabilize the used coffee grounds using plant-based polymers, which make the material durable and prevent it from dissolving in hot liquids.”
Where can you dispose of them once you have finished using them?
“The cups are highly durable and designed for long-term use, lasting for many years. When they eventually reach the end of their life cycle, they can be disposed of with regular household waste. In some countries, disposal via plastic recycling bins is also possible, depending on local regulations. In Berlin, we are currently working on a take-back system in
cooperation with cafés from our network to make disposal even more sustainable.
How did you build your waste supply network?
“Setting up our supply chain was a major effort in the beginning. Today, we have a well-
functioning network that includes local bicycle couriers in Berlin, cafés that provide us with
used coffee grounds free of charge, and a central location where the grounds are dried for
further processing. The material processing and cup manufacturing also take place entirely in Germany – a rare exception in the reusable cup industry, where most products are made in the Far East and shipped around the globe.”
Which markets have the greatest potential for this type of product?
“We currently collaborate with many companies that distribute our cups to employees or use them as gifts for trade fairs and events. Of course, many cafés also sell our cups to their customers, but sales cycles in this channel tend to be slower.
We want to explore more possibilities in this area in the future. For instance, we’re currently planning a project with a larger bakery chain: after purchasing eight coffees, customers will receive a free reusable cup as a reward, and they’ll also get a discount on future drinks when they bring it back.”
