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Coffee Waste Brews Future of Vegan Leather
7 Feb
Summary
- Indonesian firm Bell Living Lab grows vegan leather from coffee waste.
- The material, M-Tex, uses bacteria to convert coffee pulp into cellulose.
- Collaboration explores bio-manufacturing for space exploration applications.
On February 6, 2026, a strategic visit took place in Bandung, Indonesia, where Dr. Kengo Suzuki of Tsunan Sake Brewery met with Arka Irfani, CEO of Bell Living Lab. They toured Bell's facility and discussed bio-manufacturing and circular economics.
Bell Living Lab utilizes coffee waste, a significant agricultural byproduct in Indonesia, to create M-Tex, a vegan leather. This material is grown using bacterial fermentation, converting coffee pulp into cellulose nanofibers.
The process involves preparing coffee pulp, fermenting it with bacteria to produce cellulose, and then forming and finishing the material into durable sheets.
Dr. Suzuki noted the similarity between Bell's fermentation process and sake brewing, calling both "Microbial Shepherds." This insight could lead to applying AI and data analysis from sake brewing to M-Tex production for faster, more consistent results.
The collaboration also extends to space exploration, with potential for Bell's bio-manufacturing model to be used for producing resources on the Moon by 2040.
Future research may explore using sake lees as a nutrient for bacterial cultures and introducing Bell's sustainable materials to the Japanese market.
