Matek™.
A circular material by Mater — made from discarded coffee shells, sawdust and recycled plastic. The medium of Project Materia 2026.
A circular material.
Matek is developed from discarded resources — coffee shells from coffee production and sawdust from the wood industry — bound together with recycled plastic or a plastic-based alternative. The result is a new material that can be moulded using established techniques from the furniture industry, turning existing resources into durable design objects rather than relying on virgin materials.
For 2026, all nine artists in Project Materia work exclusively with Matek, transforming industrial waste into collectible sculptures that redefine sustainable luxury.
Coffee shells, sawdust and recycled plastic — moulded into long-lasting design.
A density and honesty that meets stone, marble and terrazzo on equal terms.
Pressed into existence from discarded resources rather than virgin materials.
Produced in Latvia. Exhibited in Copenhagen.
“At Mater, we have always maintained a strong focus on materials and innovation — on how new materials can shape both design and responsibility. With Matek, we have, through years of development and testing, created a material that emerges from this approach.”
Matek is developed from discarded resources such as coffee shells from coffee production and sawdust from the wood industry, bound together with recycled plastic or a plastic-based alternative. This combination forms a new material that can be moulded using established techniques from the furniture industry, enabling the transformation of existing resources into durable design objects rather than relying on virgin materials.
Materials carry meaning — not only in their aesthetics or performance, but in what they make possible. Matek offers a tactile quality and durability suited for long-lasting design, pointing toward new ways of thinking about material use within a circular context.
Materia 2026 is an opportunity to explore this potential in practice. By placing Matek in the hands of artists with a strong engagement with material, the exhibition explores how new applications and expressions can emerge when working with materials developed through circular principles.
About Mater.
Founded in Copenhagen in 2006, Mater is a pioneering global design brand with sustainability and circularity at its core. From the outset, the ambition was to inspire a global design audience and engage people in sustainable thinking.
Mater uses cutting-edge technology in production, allowing them to transform waste materials into furniture. Through collaboration with well-established and new design talents, Mater creates timeless designs in a sustainable and responsible way.
As a company, Mater will never stand still. They are continuously committed to finding and developing new green technologies that allow them to create more from less — to the benefit of the planet.