Keep Life® is an innovative and sustainable material born from the idea of the Campanian designer Pietro Petrillo
Keep Life® is an innovative and sustainable material, accompanied by an industrial invention patent, created in 2017 from the idea of the Campanian designer Pietro Petrillo. It is a composite material with a wooden nature, moldable and self-curing, produced using shells from walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, almonds, pistachios, and peanuts, with the addition of a binder that utilizes the lignin contained within the shells, generating a natural polymer free from harmful substances, fillers, solvents, and formaldehyde. We had a chat with Pietro Petrillo, focusing on the importance of materials derived from waste and the growing role designers play in integrating sustainability into their processes.
A few words about yourself.
I was born in Caserta in 1991. Design entered my life early on as a project instinct, a response to a problem or need. I am a designer, founder, and art director of the material project Keep Life, a new composite material made from the shells of dry fruits. In 2017, I obtained the industrial invention patent, and since 2019, I have been coordinating a design studio with both national and international designers. Four Italian material libraries have acquired material samples of the Keep Life composite: Politecnico di Torino – MATto, Politecnico di Milano 1863, the Department of Architecture at the University of Florence, and La Sapienza – University of Rome.
What challenges did you face in developing Keep Life® and what impact do you think solutions like this will have in the field of sustainable design?
The path to the patent was not easy, with doubts about its workability, performance, and ability to be used in industrial production, along with skepticism from the market and producers. It was only when I spoke about material continuity—that is, the concept of a resource being generated without sacrificing the tree, but by only using its fruits and shells—that I began to gain trust.
I never spoke about "eco-friendly" or "recycling" in a strict sense, terms that often create confusion. I always preferred to talk about "circular economy" and how the material is born from nature, from its essence. It’s not about recycling shells or passively reusing materials, but rather about an active process where the resource is cultivated, carried forward, and developed without having to sacrifice primary resources like a whole tree.
Photo courtesy of Pietro Petrillo
In November 2024, at Dubai Design Week, you presented the “Table for Two” for Keep Life® and Ambientha® and the “Talking Plate.” Can you tell us more about that?
The Talking Plate originates from a simple but powerful idea: transforming an everyday object into a catalyst for connections and conversations. The plate is not just a container for food; it becomes a medium to create a bond between diners. Its material, made from dry fruit shells, and the textures designed to stimulate dialogue, become tools for encouraging authentic conversation.
The first step in product development was designing the plate based on ergonomic principles. It was essential that the plate be deep enough to hold food and maintain a constant temperature, protected by a cloche, which, unlike the traditional dome, takes on a disc shape. To improve the plate’s functionality and aesthetics, I decided to integrate a second material entity: a sandwich disc made of two metal layers with a composite in the middle. The cloche, expertly crafted by the company Ambientha, specializes in producing wallpaper.
We coated the plate with a transparent, water-based varnish, specifically formulated for food use, which seals the pores of the Keep Life material, making it easy to wash under running water.
On what foundations does the future of design rest?
The future of design must embrace technological innovation, but without excluding the masses. The idea is to create solutions that are accessible to everyone, not just an elite, while keeping a critical eye on the planet's resources. Every product must be designed to minimize its environmental impact, because, as Aristotle said, every human action carries with it a form of "cause." If we want a better future, large-scale production must democratize access to quality, without falling into the trap of "fast design."
Photo courtesy of Pietro Petrillo
What are you working on now?
I’m passionately dedicated to various domestic interior and product design projects, always thinking about a positive environmental impact. An example is my work with ArmientiBio, a Pugliese agricultural company that has been cultivating almonds for generations and producing a range of derivatives, such as almond oil, destined for the beauty sector.
At the Milan Design Week 2025?
The goal is to launch a new exhibition format: a table show that introduces a series of unique features, where the visitor is no longer just an observer but becomes an integral part of the exhibition itself, as if participating in a Sunday at the museum, immersed in an interactive experience.
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