Music electronics brand House of Marley has created a pair of bamboo and recycled plastic earbuds as an “eco-conscious alternative” to plastic headphones.
The Liberate Air wireless earbuds by House of Marley are made from a variety of sustainable materials such as aluminium, bamboo and a wood fibre composite made from sawdust, as well as recycled silicone and recycled plastic.
House of Marley designed the dark grey pods, which don’t use any virgin plastic, as “an eco-conscious alternative within the plastic-driven market”.
The earphones themselves are made from recycled plastic and polylactide. Also called polylactic acid (PLA), this is a bioplastic typically made from fermented plant starches found in corn or sugarcane. The material is also used in a pair of headphones by Aivan.
Recycled silicone is used for the ear cushions on Liberate Air to provide comfort inside the ear. House of Marley designed the material, which it calls Regrind, from disposed silicone sourced from either after processing, or being thrown away.
The buds are housed in a case made with a composite of recycled polypropele, a type of plastic, and sawdust fibres. Aluminium is used for the case hinge and clasp, and also on the nozzles on the earbuds.
Also fatured on the case is a fabric designed in-house by the electronics brand, called Rewind. The textile is a blend of 40 per cent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), 30 per cent reclaimed organic cotton and 30 per cent reclaimed hemp. Inside, bamboo features as well.
Liberate Air earbuds work without the need for a cord and sync to smart devices via Bluetooth. They have a nine-hour battery life and an additional 2.5 charges in their case, totalling 32 hours.
Each pair comes with the dark grey charging case that houses the earbuds. A USB cable charges the device when it is plugged into a socket.
House of Marley has designed the pods to be sweatproof and weather-resistant to suit “active lives and rugged environments”. The design has gained an IPX4 rating, meaning it is resistant to water splashes from any direction.
The earphones also feature a sensor-activated touch control technology. Called G-Sensor Touch Control, the system allows the user to easily play, pause, change music and take calls.
Based in Michigan, House of Marley produces a series of headphones and speakers created in collaboration with the Marley family to carry on Bob Marley’s legacy of love for music and planet.
The brand has also designed portable Bluetooth speakers that incorporate cork, recycled silicone and upcycled cloth.
Proceeds from product sales support reforestation through House of Marley’s Project Marley and global non-profit One Tree Planted. To date, 186,000 trees have been planted with the initiative.
In addition to Liberate Air, another earphone designed from recycled materials are colourful buds by Michael Young made with cornstarch bioplastic.
House of Marley’s wireless earbuds are made from recycled materials and bamboo [Dezeen]