A square tile in muted grey-brown, its surface finely speckled with darker particles.
  • The tile face-on with a printed label reading “Materia Madura — Material sample: Plantain & coffee waste composite, Size 4″ x 4″. Texture & color may vary.”
  • A close view of the tile's corner, the speckled brown surface meeting a thick cut edge dense with pale fibrous flecks.
  • The whole tile at an angle, showing its full square face together with the depth of its edge.

Plantain and coffee waste composite is a waste-based material derived from locally sourced plantain and coffee waste and biopolymers in San Juan, Puerto Rico by Materia Madura. The material is rigid when dry and nontoxic.

Composition

Coffee waste, plantain waste, biopolymer

Handling Notes

  • When the composite material is wet, it can be cast into tiles or milled into intricate shapes
  • When the composite dries (current state), use it in furniture making or object making

Applications in Craft

Keywords

Provenance

Materia Madura, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Acquired 2024.

In Use

Have you used this material?

Please contact Mellanee Goodman, Program Director, Curator, and Materials Specialist, to start a conversation about submitting your work for inclusion on this site.

mgoodman@centerforcraft.org