About the project
4Bean proposes transforming waste from Lisbon’s café culture into functional products that could enhance the coffee shop experience. Focusing on establishments in Lisbon, the project suggests a system where cafés’ discarded plastics might return as useful tools: Pocket Tray, a portable ashtray; ClipIt, a package sealer for food storage; Docker, a cooling coaster inspired by coffee bean shapes; and MushPod, a composter concept for converting coffee grounds into mushroom growing medium. By suggesting partnerships with Lisbon FabLabs for production, 4Bean outlines a model where small businesses could participate in waste reduction while gaining unique items that might enhance customer experience and promote environmental awareness.
About the Project’s approach
4Bean explores distributed design through considering cultural practices alongside sustainability. The project proposes accessible designs and production methods that café owners could potentially implement while respecting local coffee traditions. The concept envisions partnerships between small businesses, makers, and customers, building community around sustainable practices. The proposal considers how multiple waste streams—from plastic packaging to coffee grounds—might become resources, creating cycles of reuse. The approach connects consumer behavior, business operations, and environmental impact, suggesting how cultural heritage and sustainability might reinforce each other. By considering circular practices within a daily ritual, 4Bean explores making sustainability tangible without disrupting social practices.
About the collective
Beatriz Jerónimo, Diana Domingos, Mafalda Ribeiro, and Rita Roncon are Visual Arts and Technologies students at Politécnico de Lisboa with an interest in sustainable design and cultural practices. Their project represents an academic exploration of how café culture might intersect with circular economy principles. As design students, they researched local coffee shop operations and waste streams to inform their conceptual solutions, approaching the work as a learning experience. Their process involved observing everyday practices to identify opportunities for sustainable interventions, demonstrating how design education can engage with cultural contexts through thoughtful research and creative conceptualization.