Most people immediately dump their old coffee grounds into the trash. But Spanish designer Raul Lauri has figured out a brilliant way to breathe new life into those old grounds.

From Lauri’s site (translated by MAKE):

Raul Lauri reflects on everyday debris of everyday life and seek new forms of exploitation. In this case, chose coffee as a product near known and consumed worldwide, given that the latter is traded commodity in the world. In addition, coffee is a carrier of experiences happening every day — thousands of stories over a cup of coffee, then why get rid of a product as valuable if we can harness their emotional bonds?

Lauri's patented process involves using a special binder and just the right amount of heat and pressure to create a new solid material out of coffee grounds called "decafé," which he then uses to make unique lampshades. His "decafé" lampshades are stunning and even retain the rich color and texture of coffee beans. But most importantly, they're 100% natural and biodegradable, an incredibly smart use of a seemingly useless material.

(h/t MAKE) and RecyclArt)