By now, every country, city, man and woman is being adversely affected by all the pollution that surrounds us. The problem has escalated to a global level and our oceans, lands and air are no longer safe. Recycling plastics is the first step we can take to tackle this large problem at hand. Stretchy pallet wrap and bubble wrap is more difficult to recycle when compared to other types of plastics. A company based in Brighton, UK, called Gomi design has articulated a solution by turning the recycled plastics into a portable and wireless speaker.
“We were inspired by the cradle-to-cradle design process, thinking about our products full-lifecycle right from the beginning of our design process,” said Gomi’s Tom Meades. The Bluetooth speakers are a way of ensuring that waste is converted into a useful product. Plastic is otherwise likely to be incinerated producing even more harmful gases or dumped into a landfill. The most non-recyclable of all the plastics is considered to be LDPE/Flexible plastics and by creating this product it is actively demonstrated that even the most harmful of the pollutants can be turned into a non-polluting one.
There are three modules that make up the speaker and each of these is made up of around 100 plastic bags which are melted, compressed and reshaped. During fabrication there are marble-like patterns made by hand and so each of the speakers is unique to the eyes.
To ensure efficiency, the studio has collaborated with the wholesalers around Sussex who will supply the necessary plastic waste which would otherwise be dumped and left out. All kinds of municipal waste, even household plastics are being reformed.
The dimensions of the speaker measure 138 x 270 x 80 mm and includes a dome tweeter, a midrange driver and a Bluetooth 4.0 that allows wireless streaming. The device can easy last up to 18 hours after each recharge.
Gomi is also working on a portable power brick made out of the same non-recyclable plastic material which can include a 20,000 mAh Li-ion battery and USB-C, standard USB and a fast charging USB 3.0 ports.
The speakers have currently been launched on Kickstarter and are open to funding. You can pledge one of the speakers for £195 and shipments will begin in November. The portable power bank can also be pledged for £39 and will also be shipped by November 2019.
All Images: © Gomi
Sources: Gomi, Kickstarter (via: New Atlas)