Involution: Making Jewellery, Creating Change. Innovation in the Synthesis of Biomaterials from Organic Coffee (Karen Community in Kanchanaburi Province) to Create Local Zero Waste Contemporary Items and Enhance the Quality of Chemical Free Life

The bio-economy system focuses on using biological resources to create added value, emphasising high-value product development linked to the circular economy. This aims to maximise the use of various materials and is underpinned by a green economy that focuses on economic development and balances social development and environmental conservation. This innovation takes advantage of Thailand's biodiversity and cultural diversity to create competitiveness through innovation. This practice-led research project aims to transform coffee into alternative materials through experimentation and synthesising biodegradable fibres from high-quality bacteria found in coffee beans.

With its environmentally-friendly properties, clean technology, and ability to biodegrade naturally, it is a creative work that is free of waste and in line with the policy of the Karen Community in Kanchanaburi Province, which is committed to promoting a safe quality of life and creating a circular economy that emphasises the transformation of local resources into a source of income, creating added value for existing business systems and providing economic opportunities for new entrepreneurs, thus enhancing the efficiency of resource utilisation in the country.

This prototype of local contemporary items made from innovative biodegradable materials synthesised from organic coffee is an important part of the BCG economic system, which promotes scientific research, technology, and innovation in waste reduction and circular economy. It has the potential to be used in the domestic and international tourism industry, pushing Thai businesses towards global competitiveness, reducing inequality, and promoting sustainable development.



Figure 1 (left) Organic coffee (Sirinkraporn, 2023).
Figure 2 (right) Karen community in Kanchanaburi province (Sirinkraporn, 2023).




Figure 3 (left) Roasted organic coffee beans (Nakpan, 2023).
Figure 4 (right) Biomaterials from organic coffee (Nakpan, 2023).



Figure 5 The practice-led process aims to transform coffee into alternative materials through experimentation and synthesising biodegradable fibres from high-quality bacteria found in coffee beans. (Nakpan, 2023).


Figure 6 Bio fibres from coffee (Nakpan, 2023).


Figure 7 Innovation in the Synthesis of Biomaterials from Organic Coffee to create Contemporary Jewellery (Nakpan, 2023).



Figure 8 Innovation in the Synthesis of Biomaterials from Organic Coffee to create Contemporary Jewellery (Nakpan, 2023).



Figure 9 Innovation in the Synthesis of Biomaterials from Organic Coffee to create Contemporary Jewellery (Nakpan, 2023).

 

About the author

Khajornsak Nakpan,
An “Innovative Body Adornment Jeweller” who specializes in generating knowledge of creative design, theory of colours, and computer graphics. Combining his diverse abilities and skills renders uniqueness to Khajornsak’s work. He focuses on the aesthetics of postmodern art, especially philosophy. He also pays attention to research methodology and process. His work, therefore, demonstrates different aesthetic dimensions through the lens of adaptive science.




Dr Supavee Sirin-k-raporn is a full-time Lecturer at Silpakorn University, Bangkok Thailand, a Jewellery Artist and Designer.

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