Home Decor Startup Krill Design Creates Table Lamp From Orange Peels

By James White | Monday, 12 July 2021 | Startup, Design, Sustainability & Environment

In the US, between 30% to 40% of the food supply is wasted. In an effort to curtail food waste in the US and globally, entrepreneurs continue to find innovative ways to preserve and redirect food or repurpose food waste. Startup company Krill Design is using 3D printing technology to repurpose orange peels and turn them into a unique table lamp. The home decor business recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for its citrus lamp on Kickstarter.

Smashing Funding Expectations

Krill Design set out to raise roughly $3,500 for its sustainable home decor, but the startup company has already greatly surpassed this goal. Crowdfunding investors quickly funded the project for the home decor business in just two hours after launching on the platform. So far, the sustainable startup has generated over 500% of its initial funding goal with about three weeks left in the campaign.

“We have been developing biomaterials for almost three years,” said Ivan Calimani, founder and CEO of the home decor business. “Helping corporates be sustainable and crafting eco-design products for them. We want to make this change beautiful and meaningful.”

Funding pulled from crowdfunding investors will help the startup company purchase the equipment necessary to produce its sustainable table lamp, refine its biomaterial, and begin the production process. Krill Design expects its unique table lamp to retail for about $118, though early investors have an opportunity to secure their citrus lighting at a discounted rate. The business expects to begin delivering its sustainable product to backers beginning in November.

The Orange Lamp

Calimani founded the home decor company alongside Yack H. Di Maio and Martina Lamperti with a mission to create products using circular design and sustainable materials.

The Milan-based startup business sources its raw material from oranges produced in southern Italy. Peels are then dried, powdered, and compounded in a biomaterial used by 3D printers. Using a single piece of heated filament, the startup company uses a printing process that replicates the texture of an orange peel and creates a patterned surface on its eco-product. The resulting lamp built by the business sports a lightweight, single-piece body that is fully compostable with a dimmable light function.

“Design means solving problems,” Di Maio said. “When you add design with technology such as 3D printing and sustainable materials, you add complexity but also open a world of possibilities.”

In the future, Krill Design hopes to produce a diverse range of citrus furniture, including coffee tables, stools, and other home decor.

Disrupting the Home Decor Industry

Krill Design aims to bring sustainability to the furniture industry through the use of sustainable materials and circular economy products. According to market research firm Grand View Research, sustainable home decor is on the rise. The global eco-friendly furniture market is expected to reach almost $60 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 6.8%.

Though making furniture from citrus waste is certainly unique, Krill Design is not alone in the growing eco-friendly decor industry. A number of competitors, including VivaTerra and Sabai Design occupy the space with products made with reclaimed or recycled materials.

About the Author

James White

James White is a Michigan State University graduate with a BS in Environmental Biology. He is interested in reporting emerging trends in technology, especially with regard to alternative energy and environmental conservation.