Exclusive Interview with ZIROBIO Founders: Turning Coffee Grounds into Sustainable Art
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Hailey, the co-founder of ZIROBIO - a success story launched on Kickstarter.
This article was interviewed and written by Iunna.
ZIROBIO is a Los Angeles based biotechnology company transforming bio waste into wonderful products for businesses. The first product the company launched was a pencil - GRIND Z, which is more than a pencil, it is a nature-inspired experience. The pencil contains zero synthetic dyes, leaves your hands dirt-free, has naturally brownish pigment, and is made from 100% biobased recycled materials. And the secret ingredient? Coffee!
A great cup of coffee does indeed make a difference.
Hailey and her husband Miles, the dynamic duo behind ZIROBIO, turned their morning ritual into their life's work. Now both of them are working on the project.
“We are a couple that loves coffee,” says Hailey.
And even if loving coffee means making espresso by hand using a Moka pot, like Hailey and Miles do, they go even beyond the beverage - they have started to use coffee grounds as the primary material to their biobased pencil.
The inspiration for GRIND Z originally started from concern about environmental sustainability: “Millions of tons of coffee grounds are produced globally each year, and most of this waste ends up in landfills, releasing harmful methane gasses that significantly impact climate change,” Hailey explains. Their initial goal was to develop a sustainable product that not only recycles bio waste but also is useful in everyday life. "If an eco-friendly product cannot integrate into people's lives and be widely used, it will not achieve the best results," she adds.
As life continued, and the morning routines stayed the same, Hailey, an artist and a project manager, noticed how coffee stains could be quite troublesome. Realizing coffee grounds in fact still retain their brown pigment. This situation was a light bulb moment for Hailey, from where the slow process of product developing began.
GRIND Z is a completely unique product that sets ZIROBIO apart from the market. The couple focuses on all aspects of product development: sustainability, convenience and setting high-standard within the industry. Currently, they are promoting a transition from traditional materials to recycled and biobased materials. Their long-term goal is to help businesses transition from traditional material to recycled and biobased materials. Currently, ZIROBIO team is focused on developing their GRIND Z pencil even further, with a variety of sizes and colors of pencil leads, and they are also developing more products using coffee grounds.
I often use Kickstarter as an idea bank, browsing through creative ideas. There are great ideas but some concepts truly stand out, and ZIROBIO’s initiative is one of those that I genuinely admire. Curious about how feedback from the Kickstarter community impacts startups, I asked Hailey about their expectations and the feedback they received. “When we launched on Kickstarter, we hoped to gain community support and feedback, as well as initial orders and funding. But looking back, this crowdfunding experience itself is a valuable asset.” Hailey notes. Considering just a little over 60% of project launches on Kickstarter fail, the couple managed their expectations cautiously. Even further expectations were crushed, when they hit their crowdfunding goal within 48-hours of their 31-day campaign.
Just like coffee, community support and feedback does indeed make a difference.
What I admire most about ZIROBIO, is their creative approach to building their client community. They have combined business-to-business (B2B) services with direct-to-consumer (DTC) products. Offering solutions for businesses looking to recycle their bio waste. Research shows that by taking eco-friendly actions, these brands can significantly increase their appeal to consumers.
On the consumer side, products like GRIND Z allow individuals to participate in this eco-friendly movement. Both of which make sustainability accessible for everyone.
Beyond just their current success, Hailey and Miles have ambitious plans for the future of ZIROBIO. For those as captivated by their vision as I am, ZIROBIO has exciting news!
Hailey shared: "Yes, we are currently developing new products based on GRIND Z, such as various sizes and colors of pencil leads. We are also working on other coffee grounds recycling products, such as eco-friendly packaging solutions. We are excited to share these innovations with the community soon. Each product will undergo rigorous testing to ensure it meets our high standards for sustainability and usability."
While you’re here, be sure to explore more about ZIROBIO on their official website: www.zirobio.com
Hello there! I’m Iunna, a curious coffee-lover looking for creative ideas and their stories. Exploring ZIROBIO's journey has been truly inspiring - from their Kickstarter success to their visionary plans for sustainable products. As a starting copywriter, sharing stories like theirs brings me joy.
