It all began in Milan, during Expo 2015. Amidst innovations on the theme of sustainability and food, a simple but powerful question arose: what if food industry waste could become a resource?
A few years later, that spark gave rise to Krill Design. The idea was bold: to transform what normally ends up as waste –like peelings, coffee grounds and vegetable fibres into a new bio-based material that is versatile, durable and sustainable.
In 2018, Ivan Calimani, together with Yack Di Maio and Martina Lamperti, decided to join their expertise and knowledge in design, 3D printing and materials research to bring their vision to life.
The first major opportunity came with Autogrill, which entrusted Krill Design with the task of creating objects for its bars from the orange peels left over from the juice served every day. It was the first circular economy experiment to transform food waste into a design product.
San Pellegrino and the Municipality of Milan followed suit: giving rise to new materials, new shapes and new projects. Among these was Co.ffee Era, a neighbourhood initiative that recovers coffee grounds from Milanese bars to give them a second life in everyday objects.
In 2022, after years of research and experimentation, Krill Design launched Ohmie, the world’s first lamp made from orange peels. The project won over the international public on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, with over 600 lamps sold: it was the proof that sustainability can also be synonymous with beauty.
From there, the brilliant idea emerged: to make REKRILL®, the 100% bio-based patented material that replaces plastic with a natural, circular and Made in Italy solution, available to businesses.
In 2024, with the support of Crédit Agricole, Primo Capital and Algebris, Krill Design began developing its own industrial plant for large scale production of the material, marking the transition from start-up to innovative SME.
Today, we continue to innovate with the same belief: every peel, every coffee grounds, every by-product of the food supply chain can become a source of value, beauty and sustainability.
