Waste
Waste Matters is a pioneer in creating decorative tiles from organic bio-waste. By transforming materials like coffee grounds and fruit pulp, we craft unique tiles that enhance any space while promoting sustainability. Join us in redefining waste into beauty.
About us
Waste Matters is a material design studio exploring the aesthetic and functional potential of locally sourced organic waste.
Founded by designer and biomaterial researcher Austėja Platūkytė, the studio bridges material innovation, craftsmanship, and storytelling — transforming locally collected organic by-products and natural biomass residues from cafés, restaurants, and small producers into new surface materials, design objects, and collaborative installations.
Each piece begins with a process: collecting and reimagining everyday organic resources — coffee grounds, fruit peels, grape skins, seaweed, or floral waste — and turning them into tactile, expressive materials. By working with natural bio-binders and handcrafting each surface, Waste Matters reveals the beauty hidden in what’s left behind.
From waste to value — turning local residues into meaningful, regenerative materials
At Waste Matters, we redefine how organic waste is perceived and used. Working directly with local cafés, restaurants, and food producers, we responsibly collect and sort organic by-products such as coffee grounds, fruit pulp, and plant residues — materials that would otherwise end up in landfills or low-value compost streams.
By transforming these local waste resources into new biomaterials and design products, we close the loop of circular design on a community scale: what begins as food preparation or coffee brewing waste returns as a crafted surface, furniture piece, or art object within the same urban ecosystem.
This hyperlocal cycle not only minimizes transportation and emissions, but also builds a tangible link between material, maker, and place — proving that sustainability can be both aesthetic and systemic.
Eco-Friendly
Our tiles are made from locally sourced organic materials, closing the loop within the local bio-waste ecosystem. Each tile stands as a testament to our commitment to conscious material innovation and circular design.
Unique Designs
Every tile has a distinctive look, blending creativity with sustainability. Handmade designs featuring unique textures and colors make our products perfect for a range of environments, from restaurants to homes.
Versatile Use
Our Coffee Waste Tiles are suited for various applications, be it commercial spaces like cafés or residential interiors. They provide an aesthetic touch while being highly durable and practical.
Innovative Approach
We believe in innovation for a greener future. By utilizing organic waste materials, we challenge traditional manufacturing norms and focus on creating sustainable decor solutions that inspire a conscious lifestyle.
Meet the Team
Austėja Platūkytė is a material-design researcher bridging design, science, technology, and craft. A PhD candidate and Biomaterial Design lecturer at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, she is the founder of SEAWEED FOAM (a home-compostable algae-based foam), head of the NGO Medžiagotyra, and leads the Biomaterials Library — the first sustainable-materials collection in the Baltic region. Her work has been exhibited at Milan, Dubai, and Dutch Design Weeks, MaterialDistrict Utrecht, UN COP28, and EXPO 2025 Osaka. She has spoken at Cumulus Detroit, IEEE ICTE, and the EUSBSR Forum, and published in Cumulus 2022 and (Building) New Perspectives 2023. A multi-year Lithuanian Council for Culture grantee and Green Concept Award nominee, Platūkytė manages and co-develops over €1M in EU–Nordic R&D projects, and leads Creative Biomaterial Design Workshops (2023–25) promoting regenerative, nature-positive design.
She explores biomaterials and their potential within the context of design, as well as local bio-waste streams — investigating how these can be transformed into new, innovative materials. As the lead designer and creator of biomaterials for the Waste Matters project, she develops environmentally conscious materials and contemporary design objects that bridge sustainability and aesthetics, turning organic waste into meaningful, future-oriented design.
Matas Žilys is a chef and zero-waste gastronomy practitioner, and the founder of The Second Bite Lab — a culinary initiative guided by circular economy principles and the philosophy of a nature-based kitchen. His work explores how food systems can evolve beyond consumption to embrace regeneration, transforming organic by-products into new sensory and cultural experiences.
Within the Waste Matters project, Matas is responsible for managing organic waste streams from local cafés and restaurants — overseeing their collection, sorting, cleaning, drying, and processing. Through this material-focused approach, he bridges gastronomy and design, developing methods to repurpose bio-waste into new sustainable biomaterials and contributing to the creation of circular, regenerative design practices.